The overseas training continued through the spring and into early summer. The company training was "combat" related and much of it was conducted in the field with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. They were trained in Traffic Control Points (TCP’s) while in concert with the cavalry unit.

        There was also separate field training in infantry squad, platoon and fire team tactics, the standard MP training in riot, crown control, and everyone's favorite, a reorientation with the tear gas chamber.

        During the training period an officer from the military police unit they were replacing in Thailand came to Fort Meade and gave the company orientation training on Thai culture and what their new duties would encompass.

        They were informed that the company would be separated into two platoons and would rotate between facility security at an air base in Korat, and town patrol in Ban Sattahip.

        One week before the main body was scheduled to depart Fort Meade a company formation was called and the men were informed that their overseas orders had been changed and the new destination was South Vietnam. A company detail was put to work repainting the addresses on the crates of equipment from APO Thailand to APO Vietnam.

2 July The main body departed Fort Meade by aircraft, flying non stop from Baltimore Friendship Airport on a chartered flight aboard a Globe Airways Boeing 707, to Oakland International Airport, California.

        In Oakland they boarded a World War II era troop ship, the USNS General Walter H. Gordon, where they were directed to a forward berthing area on the lowest deck of the ship.

3 July The USNS General Gordon departed Oakland in the evening and stopped at San Diego, California the next morning.

        During the trip to Okinawa the ship was stopped several times for system’s repairs and once to render assistance to a merchant ship. The rumor at the time was the old boiler system kept springing leaks and they had to stop to relieve pressure before welding patches over the leaks.

        The merchant ship needing assistance radioed that they had an injured crewman needing medical care. The crewman was transferred from the merchant to the troop ship and was dropped off when they arrived at Okinawa.

        The General Gordon stopped briefly (several hours) at Okinawa, Japan where the contingent of Marines disembarked. The ship then continued on to the South China Sea.

        During this leg of the trip that the ship encountered a serious storm. All troops were ordered below decks and the water tight hatches were secured. The resulting pitching and rolling resulted in numerous cases of seasickness and the ships heads (bathrooms) crowded to capacity, were the primary destination of most of the men on board

The Water Came Up Over My Feet!  SP/4 Robert C. Parisi, 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion, July 1966 to May 1967.

        The 188th disembarked coming ashore in Army LCU landing craft. From Vung Tau they were transported to the replacement processing compound, Camp Alfa at Ton Son Nhut Air Base outside Saigon.

The 188th, with a strength of 182 men, was assigned as a physical security company to the 92nd MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, United States Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV) to work in the Capital Special Zone (Saigon) and  Tactical Zone III  (Vung Tau).

92nd

USARV

        I recently found my old MP Helmet in a box in the garage. It still looks pretty good. Amazing how long a good coat of neutral Kiwi shoe polish will last! I bought this helmet from another MP, Perry Carter, his name is still faintly visible on the webbing inside, when I returned to Saigon from Ship Security in Vung Tau. We didn't wear them on the ships, so I had to find one when I got there. The issued helmet liners were pretty rough so everyone usually had one hand painted by a Vietnamese guy in town. We all wanted to look sharp so a nice shiny hat was a must. I don't remember what the going price was but I'm sure it wasn't much. When I was later transferred to the 560th MPs for my last couple of months in-country I held on to this hat and sent it home.

Courtesy of SP/4 Larry D. Brown, 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion, Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), January 1966-June 1967.

        The company command structure at that time was CPT James R. Crinan, Company Commander, 1LT Max E. Blumenthal, Executive Officer, James D. Hinds, First Sergeant, Platoon Leaders, 1LT Robert Sigiloff, 1LT Norman Haber, 2LT Lawrence (?) Gray, Platoon Sergeants, MSG James Daley, SFC Earl Dowdy, SSG Robert Mills, SFC Robert J. Kahley, Operations Sergeant, SSG Archie J. Trader, Mess Sergeant, SSG Shepard B. Hobson, Supply Sergeant and SGT Carl T. Cephas, Motor Sergeant.

        Within days of arrival the 188th was given in-country orientation consisting of lectures, and live fire familiarization (one magazine each) with an M16 rifle. The standard issue company rifle was still the M14.

        Short run convoy escorts were also conducted from the docks to several outlying areas around Saigon.

        Traffic control points were manned on various roads outside Saigon with the mission to interdict enemy forces and their material, arms and ammunition.

        Within two weeks after their arrival the 188th MP Company formed a platoon into the Vung Tau Detachment that was sent to the port to augment the 560th MP Company conducting ship security there.

        Before the end of the year they also staffed a detachment at Nha Be providing security for the cargo ships anchored in the river and the huge petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) depot.