After graduation in February, 1971, I was sent to Oakland Army Terminal in California. For approximately two weeks, I along with several of my buddies sat there on diversion orders to Germany. Out of 150 of us, twenty went on to Vietnam the rest were sent to Germany.

        On 7 March 1971 I arrived in Long Binh Post in III Corps Tactical Zone and was assigned to the 720th MP Battalion, Company C – "Charging Charlie," their primary mission being convoy escort.

        I spent the first month as a tail gunner on C-50 "The Ugly Duck" and various other V-100 Commando Armored Cars. In April I was assigned as a driver on a gun jeep for the convoy supervisor. In May I was assigned as the driver for V100, C-58 "The Vulture,” with Terry Davenport as the IC. In July after C-58 broke down we were assigned to C-63, "Feeling Groovy."

        I worked convoy escorts all the way up until I came home on 26 January 1972. From letters that my Mother recently gave me I have a good accounting of the first nine months I was with C Company.

        We ran convoys to Quan Loi, Bao Loc, Fire Support Base (FSB) Mace, Song Be, Budda, Bu Dop, Phouc Vinh, Lai Khe, Xuan Loc, Phan Thiet, Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Katum, Tai Dai with the Australians, Bear Cat, Da Lat, FSB Dillard, and other places who's names I do not remember. There was one escort when we ran out in the middle of no where on the other side of Bao Loc that was off of the map we used.

        "On The Road Again," a daily convoy journal, 10 March-7 November 1971.

        During this time I also performed POW guard, gate guard, perimeter guard, Battalion Reaction Force and ran escorts for Operation Shotgun. For me and the others that was one of the hardest escort assignments, seeing the guys going home and feeling sorry for the new guys coming in.

        After leaving Vietnam in January 1972 I was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company at the Military Police School at Fort Gordon, Georgia as an instructor, until leaving the Army on 30 August 1973.

        I then worked as a police officer in Carbondale, Illinois while going to SIU-C. I left law enforcement for approximately one year, and then went to work for the State of Illinois as a Conservation Police Officer/Sergeant.

        I was a district sergeant in charge of six to eight counties for over 20 years. I retired in June, 2004 and I am now enjoying family life along with my hobbies.

        I currently live in Columbia, Illinois, with my wife Mary Anne and daughter Megan.

        My Mother recently gave me my letters from 1971 and I started to research on the internet about MP's in Vietnam, and found the battalion website. I appreciate the recognition we are receiving and the hard work of the fellows who run the website. If I had to do it all over again I would do it the same way.