WI-03: Derrick Van Orden (R)
Derrick Van Orden joined the Navy at the age of 18. He served for 26 years. He retired as a Navy SEAL senior chief with five combat deployments and several others to troubled areas in the world.
His first combat deployment was to Bosnia Herzegovina immediately following the signing of the Dayton Accords. During this time, he came to understand how truly unique and wonderful America is.
He continued his service with multiple combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq. Additionally, he served in the Horn of Africa, Asia, Europe, and South and Central America.
During his tour in Europe in 2012, under the Obama administration, he was responsible for planning Special Operations contingency operations for the European Continent.
He also became involved in acting during his military service when he starred in the motion picture Act of Valor. He continued his acting career and appeared in two more films. He is also a best-selling author of the book A Book of Man: A Navy SEAL’s Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood.
Wanting to give back to the village that had been so kind to them, he and his wife Sara decided to reopen the village cafe. This led to a two-year adventure culminating with the reestablishment of the Butternut Cafe as a gathering place for friends and family.
Following this, he decided he would attend law school.
The above information was sourced from the candidate’s website.
