David Allen Zien (born March 15, 1950) is an American politician who represented Wisconsin's 23rd Senate district as a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate.

Early life, education and political career

Zien was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and attended

Cadott High School The School District of Cadott Community is a school district in southwestern Chippewa County, Wisconsin. The district serves the village of Cadott as well as all or part of the towns of Sigel, Arthur, Goetz, Lafayette, Edson, Delmar, Ans ...

. He has a B.S. from University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and an M.S. from University of Wisconsin–Stout. Prior to holding elected office, Zien was a campus administrator at Northcentral Technical College. Zien was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1988 and to the Wisconsin Senate in 1993 in a special election. He became the

President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

in 2005. He was defeated in his Fall 2006 re-election campaign by Democrat

Pat Kreitlow Patrick J. Kreitlow (born July 3, 1964) is an American politician, former broadcaster, and communications consultant. A Democrat, Kreitlow was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Wisconsin's 23rd Senate district, from 2007 to 201 ...

Military service

Zein joined the United States Marines and served with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment in the Vietnam War in 1969.Rodriquez Jr., Ismael. "'A Passion That Turned Into Obsession'", ''VFW Magazine, volume 108, number 2, October 2020. While in Vietnam, his unit fought at

The Rockpile The Rockpile (also known as Elliot Combat Base) and known in Vietnamese as Thon Khe Tri, is a solitary karst rock outcropping north of Route 9 and south of the former Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Its relatively inaccessible location, rea ...

. He was discharged in 1970. He built a memorial called "Rockpile II" in

Wheaton, Wisconsin The Town of Wheaton is located in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,701 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, up from 2,366 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities o ...

dedicated to those who served in the Vietnam War.

Motorcycle injury

Zien is well known in Wisconsin for driving through the state on a motorcycle with full-size

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and Wisconsin flags. He was inducted in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000. On March 13, 2011, Zien was seriously injured while traveling in Florida on his motorcycle. Dave Zien logged more than two million miles riding motorcycles before being critically injured in a violent highway crash in Florida. Even though the 61-year-old former state representative and senator lost part of his left leg – and almost his life – in the March crash, he has continued to ride, this time on a three-wheeled Harley-Davidson.

Awards and recognition

During his time in office, Zien was the recipient of many awards, including the following: Legislator of the Year, membership in the American Legion, National MC Hall of Fame inductee with

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...

NRA The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while conti ...

Defender of Freedom Award presented by

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...

, Outstanding Legislator, 1995–96, and NFlB Guardian of Small Business, 1995–96. WIAA State Wrestling Qualifier for Cadott High School.

Controversy

On June 21, 2011, Zien and two Tea Party members were accused of harassing and assaulting members of the Solidarity Sing Along group in the Wisconsin State Capitol. Zien allegedly ran over group members' belongings with his wheelchair.Man arrested for battery in Capitol altercation
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Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zien, David 1950 births Living people Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni University of Wisconsin–Stout alumni Military personnel from Wisconsin 21st-century American politicians United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War United States Marines American veterans activists