He made it to the MACV team before succumbing to the wounds. The machine gun allowed the MACV team to suppress the enemy fire. When SGT Picucci called for assistance on the radio the other detachment members formed a reaction force to go out and assist the patrol but were to late, SP/4 Shrum died at the scene. They returned to the compound with his body.

     The detachment eventually made the move to the nearby Tactical Operations Center. For his bravery while under fire SP/4 Shrum was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal for heroism, Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service and the Purple Heart Medal. 720th MP Battalion, Vietnam History Project, Casualty Investigation File.

2 February the compound came under heavy enemy attack. SP/4 James F. X. Gilmartin, a machine gunner, with complete disregard for his personal safety exposed himself to enemy fire and ground attack.  He maintained his position and provided cover fire while the rest of his detachment evacuated the compound.  Because of his actions, his comrades were able to escape without losing a single man. On 7 March SP/4 Gilmartin was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for Valor.

     The Platoons Detachment at Vinh Long was operating out of a Villa on the Mekong River when the Tet Offensive started.

     "We were assigned normal MP duty for the City of Vinh Long, and Highway-4. Our M151 Jeeps had 1/2 inch armor plate to protect us, but one of the things we learned was that was too much weight for the M151. They were too unstable, so we striped them of the armor plate, put sand bags in the floor and ran our patrols. The jeeps had an M60 mounted on a post, but we had to stand up to fire it, so we asked the armorer at the Helicopter base to help us with "Butterfly Triggers". That made things a lot better, we could lay down and still put out a suppressive field of fire.

     On the day of the attack me, Specht, SP/4 Freddie L. Webb and a few of the other guys were on the roof of the MACV Team Villa. keep in mind that back then, we would go anywhere in civvies, unarmed. I guess I was the only one that night that was paranoid and I never went anywhere without my 45. When we realized that the area was under attack, we made a run for our Villa, about 400 yards away.

     I was the only one with a weapon, so I would stop and fire at nothing, but it must have worked because we all made it back OK. The other guys were already on the balcony returning fire. One thing about an MP convoy unit, we had a lot of M-60's. We held our own till morning, then Sarge determined that it would be best to head for the airfield to make a stand.

     We loaded up with as much ammo as we could carry and did the Airborne trot to the Airfield. The Gun Jeeps couldn't carry everybody, so they covered us along the way. We told "Gleeful Schaefer", call sign for the Naval river patrol boats, that we were leaving and that any activity after that was enemy. I know today that what we were up against was an NVA Battalion in the neighborhood. We did our country proud, Specht took a round in the leg, but wouldn't leave his M-60. When we got to the airfield, I had so much ammo on me that when I sat down I couldn't get up. One of the airfield guys said that if i'd have taken a round, I'd have gone up like a roman candle.

     After two days of fighting we finally made our way back into our villa, thanks to the support of the guys in the Brown water Navy the enemy was driven out. One of the Navy machine gunners still owes me a Akai reel to reel for that 50 cal. slug that went through my tape deck."   SP/4 Eldon Banegas, 148th MP Platoon, 557th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, June 1967-March 1968.

1 April 188th MP Company operations, under the 92nd Military Police Battalion, began moving into the Mekong Delta area to Phu Lam, Tan An, My Tho, Cai Lai, Vinh Long, Can Tho and Soc Trang. With the 95th MP Battalion at Long Binh Post, the 92nd would take over parent responsibilities for military police activity in the IV Corps Tactical Zone.

  Although unverified at this time by official records it is believed that the 148th was reassigned from the 557th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion to to the 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion who assumed operational control of  IV Corps Tactical Zone (Mekong Delta Region) sometime after this move. If anyone can provide any verification please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.

1 May PFC Joseph F. Lodise, Jr.  was the turret gunner on a V100 Armored Commando Car that responded to the aid of some elements of a 9th Infantry Division engineer unit engaged in a fire-fight on the highway with the Viet Cong. PFC Lodise died from electrocution due to a gun malfunction during the fire-fight.

Personal Reflection   "As best I can recall a captain was sent down to the 148th in Vinh Long from Saigon to conduct an evaluation of the mission that we were tasked with in the Delta. It seemed as if it was a kind of "what are we accomplishing in the Delta, how are we doing it, and how successful are we" kind of inspection. It was not an I. G. type of inspection. It was somewhat informal in nature.

    There were two V100’s sent out on that mission. If I recall correctly there were two crew each plus the Captain from Saigon. 1LT Nicholson, our platoon leader, may also have gone on it but I just don't remember. The only other person I remember going out on that missions was an F. Glenn Schaeffer. I remember him quite well because I got in touch with him back in 1989 when I went searching for Joe's parents. I wanted to talk to them about that day, and Joe.

Redesignated as the 2nd Platoon of the 188th MP Company

August The 148th MP Platoon stationed at Vinh Long was redesignated as 2nd Platoon, 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade.