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John Patrick Liteky

** Former Navy Chaplain ** 1998 Found guilty by Judge J. Robert Elliott of dye attach on Fort Benning's Ridgeway Hall in protest over School of Americas.

John Patrick Liteky guilty of dye attack.

Less than 15 minutes after leaving the courtroom Thursday, the jury sent word that it had reached a verdict.
Dressed in a sweat shirt, warm-up pants and tennis shoes, former U.S. Navy chaplain John Patrick Liteky faced Judge J. Robert Elliott as clerk Carolyn Fryer read the verdict: Guilty of damaging Fort Benning's Ridgeway Hall, headquarters of the U.S. Army's School of the Americas.
That the white-bearded Seattle resident splashed the building's walls with red dye at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 was never in question.
"I did it," Liteky, representing himself in the U.S. District Court trial, told the jury in his opening statement. "I'm on film.
"I know I was breaking the law, but I also know from the past that sometimes there are laws that need to be nonviolently demonstrated against in order for change to happen."
The change Liteky seeks is the closing of the "school of terror" that has trained Latin American soldiers who have returned to their countries and committed atrocities on men, women, priests and nuns, he said.
"I'm not trying to go to jail," he said. "But within the next two weeks, the laws just might change because of what I and others like me have done for the last nine years."
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote next week on a proposal to stop funding for the School of the Americas.
"This case is not about the U.S. Army or the School of the Americas," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Dixie Morrow. "It's about whether the defendant committed a property crime."
Morrow urged the jury to reject Liteky's argument that he should not be convicted because he had no malice when he committed his carefully planned dye-splashing. The dictionary definition of malice may indicate ill will, but the legal definition simply means he intended to do something the law forbids, she said.
"We're not suggesting he's not motivated to protest something he truly believes is wrong," said Morrow.
Liteky told the jury he has spent 10 years of his life in "resistance actions" such as his anti-SOA protest at Fort Benning. In addition to previous convictions and a prison sentence for similar Fort Benning protests, Liteky said he has twice been convicted of damaging the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., including once with the same turkey basters he used to spray the dye on the School of the Americas.
"I love my country and I love my God and I love the laws, but I try to change them," he told the jury.
After the verdict, Elliott congratulated Liteky on the manner in which he conducted his defense and said sentencing would be set on "a date to be determined."
Liteky faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He was returned to the Muscogee County Jail to await transfer to the federal prison where he is serving a 12-month sentence for his last protest.
Source: Jim Houston, Staff Writer, "Protester guilty of dye attack," Columbus Ledger Enquirer, Columbus, Georgia, September 11, 1998

The official School of the Americas site offers an account of a protest by Patrick Liteky. What the official article does not state is that Liteky is a Vietnam combat veteran who received the Purple Heart for wounds in battle. Source: SOA Watch activist desecrates National Historic Building during Religious Service

As millions of Catholics around the world observed the religious celebration of Ash Wednesday, a lone individual conducted an attack against the Army's School of the Americas here.
John Patrick Liteky, a protester since 1990, was arrested yesterday by DoD Police following the incident. Liteky was charged with criminal trespass and injury to government property. The incident occurred while Father George Gonzalez of Our Lady of Lourdes Church was conducting Ash Wednesday religious services for the School's Catholic employees.
"Someone saw him approach the entrance to the building and then he began spraying red paint and throwing propaganda pamphlets everywhere with total disregard for innocent bystanders," said Capt. Kevin McIver, Army spokesperson.
The increased level of violence from the activists has many civilian employees at the School worried. "These people have thrown their own blood on the property, they have torn down signs and much more," said one of the employees who asked not to be identified. "It's only a matter of time until they really get out of control and do something more serious."
Immediately following the incident, officials spoke with Liteky prior to his removal from School property. "He kept talking about closing the School and saying he had his medication with him," McIver said. "I asked him why he had committed the act and he said because all of our 60,000 students are murderers, which is one of the many untruths spread by his organization.
"Mr. Liteky then became agitated and many of our soldiers observing took a few steps back when he reached inside a big bag he had brought with him. Fortunately, he only pulled out an identification card," said McIver. Liteky was detained by military police for about four hours, charged, and then released.
"It is deplorable that Mr. Liteky would commit such an act during this sacred religious day when most of the School's employees were observing mass," said USARSA Chaplain (Maj.) Ruben Colon.

Statement by J. P. Liteky on the occasion of being sentenced for throwing red die on the Pentagon.
Angelo (Charles) J. Liteky

Born, Washington, D. C., February 14, 1931

U. S Army Chaplain with 199th Infantry Brigade. For actions near Phuoc-Lac, Bien Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam, 6 December 1967, awarded Congressional Medal of Honor.

Chaplain Liteky distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was participating in a search and destroy operation when Company A came under intense fire from a battalion size enemy force. Momentarily stunned from the immediate encounter that ensued, the men hugged the ground for cover. Observing 2 wounded men, Chaplain Liteky moved to within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. When there was a brief respite in the fighting, he managed to drag them to the relative safety of the landing zone. Inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire upon the enemy's positions. In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Chaplain Liteky began moving upright through the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating the wounded. Noticing another trapped and seriously wounded man, Chaplain Liteky crawled to his aid. Realizing that the wounded man was too heavy to carry, he rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and through sheer determination and fortitude crawled back to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. Pausing for breath momentarily, he returned to the action and came upon a man entangled in the dense, thorny underbrush. Once more intense enemy fire was directed at him, but Chaplain Liteky stood his ground and calmly broke the vines and carried the man to the landing zone for evacuation. On several occasions when the landing zone was under small arms and rocket fire, Chaplain Liteky stood up in the face of hostile fire and personally directed the medivac helicopters into and out of the area. With the wounded safely evacuated, Chaplain Liteky returned to the perimeter, constantly encouraging and inspiring the men. Upon the unit's relief on the morning of 7 December 1967, it was discovered that despite painful wounds in the neck and foot, Chaplain Liteky had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. Through his indomitable inspiration and heroic actions, Chaplain Liteky saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. Chaplain Liteky's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

The following rememberence of Angelo Litekywas received from Tom Kennedy on 21 October 1997. You can contact Tom Kennedy at: thomas_kennedy@hp.com . Father Liteky came out on all of our major operations & would actually hump the boonies with us. He would walk along in the individual squads and spend some time with each of us. If there was contact, you could count that he would find his way there quickly. If we were running an operation where we knew there was going to be contact, he would be with the first company in the LZ. He did not hang out in the CP. He was out with the grunts, up to his waist in water & mud in Pineapple Junction & Run Sat Special Zone, or sweating with the rest of us in War Zone 'D'. Frequently, he would overnight in the field with us grunts and stay in the company perimeter. (This must have been a considerable sacrifice since he had one of the two private hooches back at BMB/Long Binh. The other was Gen. Davison's. They were rumored to be air conditioned). He walked with me several times when I was on point. At least two of these times were right in the middle of Indian Country/Free-fire zones when contact was imminent. Father Liteky could also pick out a booby trap, too, or at least spot a trip wire (and that was half the trick, wasn't it?). He was a good guy. He wasn't preachy. When he was around, he made everyone feel comfortable and at ease. If you wanted to talk to him about spiritual issues (or anything else), he was there for all of us. He heard my Confession once when I was on point. There was nothing special happening at that moment; no contact or booby traps or whatever. It just seemed to me that 'this' particular moment was the right moment for me to go to confession and Father Liteky was there. He was a real comfort. The last time I saw him was February of '69 (I think) and he was getting ready to rotate back to the world. I commented that he was "...so short he didn't have time for a long sermon!" He laughed.

I've had no contact with him since returning home, but in 1986, he was working with the homeless in Washington, DC. He had left the priesthood (and I believe he has married). He now goes by his given name of James Liteky. He had also left his CMH in a brown paper bag at The Wall in protest of the treatment of the homeless. I stopped by to say hello several times but he was always out on the street. We never did connect.

Send comments and questions to: neilm@sirius.com

Response to Columbus Ledger-Enquirer article about SOA debate. Charles J. Liteky, resident of Columbus, Georgia. "I'm a Vietnam veteran who spends every November 11, Veterans Day, mourning the death of theyoung men I saw die on December 6, 1967.

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Updated November 8, 1998