Liteky received the Medal of Honor for his service during the Vietnam War. On December 6, 1967, Liteky, a U.S. Army chaplain, and his company were participating in a search-and-destroy mission when they came under enemy attack. Despite wounds to his neck and foot, Liteky carried 23 wounded comrades to safety during the fierce firefight. At one point, Liteky tried to lift a seriously wounded soldier. Realizing the man was too heavy, the chaplain rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and crawled backward to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. On July 29, 1986, Liteky laid his medal at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., in protest over U.S. policies in Central America, becoming the only recipient to ever return his medal. Liteky was born in Washington, D.C., and resides in San Francisco, California.