[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1630-H1631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF MARCELINO GAMINO

  (Mr. Costa of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Lance 
Corporal Marcelino Gamino, a proud marine of Fresno, California, who 
gave his life in service to our Nation.
  A grateful nation can never ever say thank you enough to this fine 
young man and his family.
  As a young man, Marcelino answered the call to serve in May 2022, 
quickly rising to the rank of lance corporal by August 2024. At just 28 
years of age, Marcelino served with distinction as a combat engineer in 
the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
  Marcelino's commitment took him across the world with distinction as 
a combat engineer and as a part of a Marine Rotational Force all the 
way to Darwin, Australia. His service was marked by distinction, 
earning him the National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service 
Deployment Ribbon.
  We, the folks in the San Joaquin Valley, mourn his tragic loss. Our 
hearts are with his family, his friends, and his fellow marines. His 
courage and his service will never be forgotten.
  Semper Fi, and God bless.


                Honoring the Life of Guadalupe Castillo

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the incredible life of 
another American, Guadalupe Castillo, a true American hero from my 
hometown of Fresno, California, from the San Joaquin Valley.
  At just 18, he entered the United States Army to do his duty during 
World War II. He faced some of the toughest and fiercest battles that 
our Nation was engaged in at that time: the Battle of the Bulge, D-day 
at Omaha Beach, and the liberation of France from the tyranny of the 
Nazis.
  Mr. Castillo's courage and sacrifice helped shape the course of the 
history of our Nation in the 20th century, but his service didn't just 
end there. After World War II, he came home and devoted 20 years to 
helping fellow veterans there with the Veterans Administration at the 
veterans hospital in Fresno, inspiring his son to follow in his 
footsteps. His son still works there today and is considered one of the 
anchors of the VA hospital in Fresno and, of course, with his dad.
  I had the honor of meeting Mr. Castillo on an Honor Flight a number 
of years ago, and I saw him again just recently at the 75th anniversary 
of the VA hospital in Fresno before he passed away on Easter Sunday at 
100 years of age.
  In that short time, he made a lasting mark and impression on me and 
everyone whom he ever touched and met because he was a true American 
hero with wisdom, kindness, and an unwavering spirit of 100 years of a 
life well lived.
  We celebrate that century of courage, service, and sacrifice, and we, 
as Americans, can never ever say thank you enough to Guadalupe 
Castillo, a true American hero from Fresno, California.

[[Page H1631]]

  


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                 Honoring Victims of Armenian Genocide

  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, on April 24, throughout the country and 
throughout the world, Armenians recognized the Armenian genocide that 
took place from 1915 to 1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
  I stand here today to confront it, empowered by facts, and determined 
that we never, ever forget the Armenian genocide, the first genocide 
that took place in the 20th century. Obviously, the Holocaust was to 
follow later on. It is a dark history, but we should never, ever forget 
our history.
  Azerbaijan's President Aliyev, much like Putin of Russia, has led an 
ethnic cleansing and weaponized starvation against Armenians still 
today, notwithstanding the Minsk agreements that he has violated.
  Over 120,000 Armenians in the last 2 years have been driven out of 
their homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh, otherwise known as Artsakh. Many of 
them are still today imprisoned and abused, and Azerbaijan must be held 
accountable.
  We cannot remain silent. I have joined my colleagues in urging 
Secretary Marco Rubio to enforce section 907 of the FREEDOM Support 
Act, demanding an end to United States military assistance to the 
Nation of Azerbaijan. They do not need it. They have violated the peace 
agreement of Minsk.
  America must make it clear: We stand together in unity and continue 
to tell stories of the past to ensure future generations never forget.

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