Voting Station

Charles Liteky

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Advocate

The Resume

    (February 14, 1931-January 20, 2017)
    Born in Washington, District of Columbia
    Catholic priest and US Army chaplain
    As a priest, known by his ordination name, Angelo Liteky
    Received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a fire fight outside the village of Phuoc Lac (December 6, 1967)
    After leaving the Army (1971), became an anti-war activist
    Twice imprisoned for trespassing at Fort Benning during protests against the School of the Americas and US foreign policy in Central America (1990,2000)

Why he might be annoying:

    He left the priesthood (1975) and married a former nun (1983).
    He eventually lost his religious faith completely, saying ‘I couldn’t continue to worship a God that I thought was an angry God or a punishing God. I haven’t found another one yet.’
    He stopped paying taxes as a protest (1986).
    He renounced his Medal of Honor, leaving it and a letter for President Ronald Reagan at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (July 29, 1986).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He frequently travelled on the front lines so he would know what the soldiers he ministered to were experiencing.
    While under heavy fire, he dragged 20 wounded men to a helicopter landing zone.
    When the landing zone came under fire, he stood in the open to direct medical evacuation helicopters in and out of the area.
    He was wounded in the neck and foot during the action.
    He gave up the benefits of being a Medal of Honor recipient (such as a tax-free monthly pension) to publicize the causes he believed in.
    He said, ‘Following nonviolence requires a lot more courage than going into the military.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 9 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 47 Votes: 59.57% Annoying