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Floor Speech
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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Orange City Fire Chief Sean deMetropolis, who is retiring from the city of Orange after 30 years of stellar service.
Chief deMetropolis began his career in 1995 and worked his way up to be fire chief. In addition to serving our community, Chief deMetropolis also stepped up to serve our great country by serving on FEMA's Task Force 5, which included a 20-day deployment to support Hurricane Katrina victims.
Chief deMetropolis has always led by example by dedicating his life to keeping the city of Orange safe.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Sean on his well-deserved retirement, and I thank Sean for his service. Recognizing Otoniel Gomez
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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroic actions of my neighbor, Otoniel Gomez.
Mr. Gomez lives in Santa Ana with his family. On December 5, tragedy struck. The Gomez family woke up to the smell of smoke.
Otoniel jumped out of a second-story window to escape the fire. Then, without missing a beat, he grabbed ladders to help his wife and children climb to safety.
Thanks to his bravery and quick thinking, the entire Gomez family, including their dog, Lyka, escaped without injury. That night, Mr. Gomez did show us what true bravery is all about.
Mr. Speaker, I pray that Otoniel's family continues to recover from the loss of their home. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Doris Ann Derleth Hirota
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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of Doris Ann Derleth Hirota.
Doris was a Santa Ana resident, the youngest of seven, and she was born at the beginning of the Great Depression in Rochester, New York, in 1932.
Doris went on to attend nursing school in Chicago, where she met her husband, Tomio, when they both began their life of service to others.
In 1965, Doris and Tomio bought their home in Santa Ana, California, where they raised eight children and countless grandchildren and great- grandchildren. It was in this same house, on January 14, 2026, that Doris passed away at the age of 93.
Doris was surrounded by her family, sending her back to Heaven, where they all know she came from.
Mr. Speaker, Doris' legacy and memory will live on in her family. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Howard Koch
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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of World War II and Korean war veteran Howard Koch.
During World War II, Howard served in the Army's elite 10th Mountain Division, America's only mountain and winter warfare fighting unit.
This unit, the elite 10th Mountain Division, was formed to defeat the Nazis who were entrenched high up in the snowy mountains of Italy.
This unit was made up of champion skiers, mountain climbers, and European mountaineers. After intensive training atop the Colorado Rockies, they climbed Italy's Riva Ridge and defeated the Nazi troops in a surprise attack.
That was not without paying a heavy price. Nearly 1,000 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division were killed, and some 4,000 were wounded in 4 months of fighting the Germans. They were successful, and the Germans surrendered.
Howard lived to be 101 years old, making his final journey to Heaven just last month.
Mr. Speaker, the memory of my very good friend, Howard, will live on, and his heroism will continue to inspire all of us.
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