Exclusive — Derrick Van Orden on Veterans Day: Best and Hardest Moments of My Military Service Were the Same

Derrick Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL and incoming representative for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, told Breitbart News on Veterans Day that the best and worst experiences of his military service were simultaneously the final moments of life of one of his military comrades in Afghanistan.

Van Orden described the duality of the moment in an interview with Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow while reflecting on the death of his brother-in-arms. Marlow asked Van Orden about the “hardest part” and his “favorite part” of military service.

“The hardest part was holding one of my friend’s hands as he died in Afghanistan, and listening to his wife on a satellite phone cry out to God in his ear because she knew she knew she was never going to see him alive again,” the congressman-elect replied.

He continued, “That was very difficult, and it weighs on me. I think the best part was sitting next to a friend of mine, holding his hand as he died in Afghanistan listening to his wife cry out to God because she knew she was never going to see her husband alive again, because I understood that I was in the presence of greatness.”

Military veterans appeal to Americans as political candidates given their demonstration of fealty to a cause greater than themselves, Van Orden remarked.

“Writ large, Americans want to know that there are other Americans out there that have proven that they’re willing to put the mission before themselves, and that we understand the mission is America,” he stated.

He continued, “We have all … raised our hand and sworn allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. We didn’t pledge allegiance to a political party or individual person.”

“[Americans] are hungry for men and women who have served and have proven that we understand that there’s something greater than us, and that’s America,” he added. “That’s why they want us to serve, because they understand we’ve done it before, and we’re going to do it again.”

He concluded, “I’m incredibly thankful. I’m just full of gratitude.”

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Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter @rkraychik.