He demobilized in February 1918 and waited until September in Kiev to get the permission from the Germans to return to Lithuania.
He returned in October and joined the fledgling Lithuanian government to become the county governor of Vilkaviškis.
On 1 February 1919, he volunteered to the newly established Lithuanian Army and was assigned as the commandant of Raseiniai.
There he organized a company and faced the threat of the Bermontians.
On 21 October, an ammunition shipment to Raseiniai was attacked by the Bermontians near Šimkaičiai.
The Lithuanians defended and killed six attackers.
In retaliation, the Bermontians attacked Jurbarkas on 25 October and Raseiniai on 26 October.
They looted and took valuables.
In Raseiniai, they searched for Vitkauskas but unable to find him captured lieutenant Vincas Rimavičius and later executed him.
Vitkauskas and other men retreated to Girkalnis and Betygala.

At the end of May 1919, Vitkauskas' brother Juozas, who served in the Red Army and fought Lithuanians in the Lithuanian–Soviet War, was captured and executed by the Lithuanian Army.
That cast a doubt on Vitkauskas' loyalties and on 15 January 1920 he was demoted to commander of a machine gun company with the 7th Infantry Regiment.
On 10 July, he was promoted to the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Infantry Regiment.
At the time, the battalion was stationed in Vilnius (Vilna, Wilno).
On 21 September, during the Battle of the Niemen River, he was given urgent orders to depart to Hoža and take up defensive position along the Neman River.
At the time, the battalion had 500 men and only 5 officers and no telephones.
In Hoža, Vitkauskas learned that Lithuanian forces moved to Druskininkai where Polish forces concentrated their attack.
Vitkauskas contacted the commander of Russian forces in Grodno who promised to send 48th and 49th Infantry Regiments but they never showed.
Polish forces took Druskininkai and began their advance towards Hoža.
Vitkauskas ordered a retreat to Parečča, a railway station on the Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway, but Polish forces got there first.
The battalion was cut off from other Lithuanian units.
Vitkauskas then decided to march back to Aziory.
The next day they marched to Novy Dvor but it was also taken by the Polish Army.
The battalion turned to Vasilishki and pushed to Lida where it found some men from the 1st Battalion of the 7th Infantry Regiment.
Vitkauskas managed to get permission from the Russian commander to gather the men and continue to Ashmyany which they reached on 30 September 1919.
From there, they turned to Vilnius and reunited with Lithuanian forces.
In total, to escape the encirclement and capture, Vitkauskas led some 750 men who marched 310 kilometres (190 mi) in 7 days in very difficult circumstances due to lack of food for the men and feed for the horses.

While the 7th Infantry Regiment was recuperating and regrouping in Vilnius, Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski began an attack towards the city on 8 October 1920.
The action became known as the Żeligowski's Mutiny.
Vitkauskas commanded the 1st and the 3rd Battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment and took the positions across the Vilnius–Ukmergė road north of Vilnius.
On 15–16 October, his men successfully attacked Polish positions near Riešė but Vitkauskas was injured.
For his actions in fighting the Poles, Vitkauskas was awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis (1st type, 1st class).
He demobilized in February 1918 and waited until September in Kiev to get the permission from the Germans to return to Lithuania. He returned in October and joined the fledgling Lithuanian government to become the county governor of Vilkaviškis. On 1 February 1919, he volunteered to the newly established Lithuanian Army and was assigned as the commandant of Raseiniai. There he organized a company and faced the threat of the Bermontians. On 21 October, an ammunition shipment to Raseiniai was attacked by the Bermontians near Šimkaičiai. The Lithuanians defended and killed six attackers. In retaliation, the Bermontians attacked Jurbarkas on 25 October and Raseiniai on 26 October. They looted and took valuables. In Raseiniai, they searched for Vitkauskas but unable to find him captured lieutenant Vincas Rimavičius and later executed him. Vitkauskas and other men retreated to Girkalnis and Betygala.
At the end of May 1919, Vitkauskas' brother Juozas, who served in the Red Army and fought Lithuanians in the Lithuanian–Soviet War, was captured and executed by the Lithuanian Army. That cast a doubt on Vitkauskas' loyalties and on 15 January 1920 he was demoted to commander of a machine gun company with the 7th Infantry Regiment. On 10 July, he was promoted to the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Infantry Regiment. At the time, the battalion was stationed in Vilnius (Vilna, Wilno). On 21 September, during the Battle of the Niemen River, he was given urgent orders to depart to Hoža and take up defensive position along the Neman River. At the time, the battalion had 500 men and only 5 officers and no telephones. In Hoža, Vitkauskas learned that Lithuanian forces moved to Druskininkai where Polish forces concentrated their attack. Vitkauskas contacted the commander of Russian forces in Grodno who promised to send 48th and 49th Infantry Regiments but they never showed. Polish forces took Druskininkai and began their advance towards Hoža. Vitkauskas ordered a retreat to Parečča, a railway station on the Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway, but Polish forces got there first. The battalion was cut off from other Lithuanian units. Vitkauskas then decided to march back to Aziory. The next day they marched to Novy Dvor but it was also taken by the Polish Army. The battalion turned to Vasilishki and pushed to Lida where it found some men from the 1st Battalion of the 7th Infantry Regiment. Vitkauskas managed to get permission from the Russian commander to gather the men and continue to Ashmyany which they reached on 30 September 1919. From there, they turned to Vilnius and reunited with Lithuanian forces. In total, to escape the encirclement and capture, Vitkauskas led some 750 men who marched 310 kilometres (190 mi) in 7 days in very difficult circumstances due to lack of food for the men and feed for the horses.
While the 7th Infantry Regiment was recuperating and regrouping in Vilnius, Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski began an attack towards the city on 8 October 1920. The action became known as the Żeligowski's Mutiny. Vitkauskas commanded the 1st and the 3rd Battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment and took the positions across the Vilnius–Ukmergė road north of Vilnius. On 15–16 October, his men successfully attacked Polish positions near Riešė but Vitkauskas was injured. For his actions in fighting the Poles, Vitkauskas was awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis (1st type, 1st class).
Vincas Vitkauskas