~ 720th Military Police Battalion Vietnam History Project ~ |
Da Lat Detachment |
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Regardless of MOS if you recognize or participated in any of the events listed on this detachment page and would like to contribute any official orders, media documents, information, personal stories, photographs, or information on any events not listed, please take a moment to contact Tom Watson the History Project and Website Manager at the Email Link provided on this page. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Vietnam Era history of the 88th MP Company (K9) and 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) and always welcomed here.
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Da Lat (Dalat) the capital of Tuyen Duc Province, is located in the mountains of the Central Highlands 200 kilometers northeast of Saigon, in II Corps Tactical Zone, was founded in 1912 as a resort to escape the heat and humidity of the lowland. Its nickname was "Paris of the East." |
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1967 |
The Detachment on Lang Bien Mountain |
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The Da Lat Detachment, an element of the 2nd Platoon of the of the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog), 95th MP Battalion, was was at this time under the command of 2LT John Milligan. The detachment lived in a villa in Da Lat but their duty station was located on the 7,000 foot high Lang Bien Mountain, on the Lam Vien Highland, providing physical security for the (then) 73rd Signal Battalion's communications compound near the mountains peak. The communication relay base was established in March of 1965. The handler teams worked there on rotating shifts of 3 to 4 days. |
December The 212th MP Company Detachment departed Lang Bien Mountain and Da Lat and were replaced by the newly arrived 981st MP Company (Sentry Dog),16th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, who were assigned to I & II Corps Tactical Zones. |
Views of Lang Bien Mountain at Da Lat
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A special thank you to SP/4 Dennis Ferguson, E Company, 43rd Signal Battalion, who served at Da Lat from January 1969 to October 1969, and provided information and these great photographs of the mountain and compound. The Ass Chewing SP/4 Dennis Ferguson, E Company, 43rd Signal Battalion, January 1969 to October 1969. |
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According to David Carson (SFC Ret.) who served at Da Lat from July 1969 through June 1970, the 981st MP Company (Sentry Dog) Detachment still provided security. The communications compound was there well into 1972 and continued to have sentry dog security. |