Van
Taylor grew up in
Midland, TX receiving his
Eagle Scout from the future
President George Bush.
He attended St.
Paul’s School in Concord,
NH graduating Magna Cum
Laude and Captain of an
undefeated New England
Championship Rowing Team. Afterwards, he attended Harvard College, graduating in three
years Cum Laude writing an
honors thesis in European
and American history.
Graduating
from Marine Corps Officer
Candidate School, Van earned
a commission as a Second
Lieutenant.
He attended The Basic
School, Infantry Officer
Course, and graduated first
in his class from Sniper
Employment Officer Course.
He completed
Intelligence School as the
Marine Honor Graduate and
commanded First Marine
Regiment’s Reconnaissance
Platoon in Camp Pendleton,
CA.
After completing that
assignment, he served as an
intelligence officer for an
artillery battalion.
He earned the Navy
Achievement Medal for
devising a quantitative
combat power analysis
system. He published an article in the Marine Corp Gazette
advocating training Marine
units at the Army’s
National Training Center.
Van
left active duty to attend
Harvard Business School
graduating in the top 10% of
his class.
He worked in Dallas
for the consulting firm
McKinsey & Co. and the
real estate firm Trammell
Crow before joining
Churchill Capital Co. as a
real estate investment
banker.
Captain
Taylor joined the Reserves
during business school. He served in Fourth Civil Affairs Group, graduating from the
John F. Kennedy School of
Special Warfare at Ft.
Bragg, NC.
He joined 4th
Reconnaissance Battalion as
a platoon commander for
Charlie Company.
Activated
and attached to Second Force
Reconnaissance Company
during the war in Iraq
Taylor commanded its largest
platoon.
His Marines crossed
into Iraq ahead of all other
forces from Task Force
Tarawa.
His commander
selected his platoon for an
aborted mission with Task
Force 20 to rescue American
POWs during the raging
battle for An Nasiriyah.
His platoon worked
with Special Forces, Navy
SEALs, Task Force-20 as well
as numerous other Marine
Reconnaissance units.
He commanded an en
extremis life saving
ground medical evacuation
necessitated by heavy enemy
fire and impossible flying
conditions. He commanded
dozens of platoon motorized
combat patrols outside of
friendly lines establishing
US presence in tumultuous
Iraqi areas.
Refusing local
Iraqis’ offer to become
mayor of Afak, Capt. Taylor
looks forward to returning
to Dallas and continuing his
career in real estate
finance.
