The NCOIC and his assistant had their housing at the kennel building then later moved into a building within the airfield compound with the detachment’s 3rd Platoon Leader. The 3rd Platoon leader was also responsible for several other company detachments, traveling to them when required.

     The rest of the enlisted men stayed at a compound only a few minutes away.

26 September The 18th MP Brigade (activated state-side on 23 March 1966) became active upon its arrival in Vietnam, and assumed operational control of the 89th MP Group and its subordinate commands to include the 212th MP Company. The 89th MP Group still maintained administrative and logistical support.

     The detachment members would now change from the MACV to the 18th MP Brigade patch.

    The city MP Desk and Provost Marshal Office detachment was still staffed by the 560th MP Company, and the ammunition supply depot security was still provided by the Company’s sentry dog handler teams.

     In June, the on board ship security mission at the Sub-Port was reassigned and the 188th MP Company detachment was withdrawn.

31 January The Tet Offensive activities within Phuoc Tuy Province occurred to the northeast of Vung Tau in and around the cities and hamlets between Vung Tau and the Australian-New Zealand Army Task Force Base in Nu Dat. Vung Tau City was left unscathed.

     As in all the Tet attacks, the timing of the offensive in Phuoc Tuy Province coincided with the holiday leave of the bulk of ARVN troops and National Police, so it was not surprising that the Viet Cong were able to infiltrate men, equipment and supplies into position for the offensive.

     The main provincial towns in Phuoc Tuy came under heavy attack. Ba Ria (Phuoc Le), the capital of Phuoc Tuy Province, was occupied by the reinforced Viet Cong D445 Provincial Battalion.

     On 1 February the fighting cut the road (LTL-2) from Vung Tau to Nu Dat. Supplies that were normally brought in by road convoy were instead airlifted in by Caribou aircraft.

     Elements of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) reached Ba Ria to assist the hard-pressed ARVN forces in clearing the Viet Cong from the province capital. Firefights were sharp and intense and ranged from street to street among the tightly packed buildings of the town. The enemy fought tenaciously from well-prepared positions with rockets, small arms and machine gun fire. The Viet Cong attack on Ba Ria was repelled by the afternoon of the 2nd.

     From 3-6 February the 3rd Battalion, RAR supported the 2nd Battalion, 52nd ARVN Ranger Battalion to clear Long Dien, 5 kilometers east of Ba Ria. The Australian battalion saw heavy fighting in clearing the Viet Cong from a number of entrenched positions.

     From 5-9 February, the 3rd RAR twice cordoned off Hoa Long, situated just south of Nu Dat and also assisted in securing the eastern approaches to Ba Ria, and in Long Dien, elements of the a 3rd RAR was engaged with heavy fire from entrenched positions.

     According to CPL Irvin “Tom” Maron, the 212th Detachment maintained fifteen to eighteen handler teams, provided security at the ammunition depot (six posts), Post Exchange depot (one post). They were billeted with the 560th MP Company detachment and ate at their mess hall.

     The new year brought with it the start of the MACV Intensified Vietnamization Program. With the start of the program U.S. and Allied units began their preparations for draw down and departure of combat and support forces.

     It was also during this period that the term Corps Tactical Zone was dropped and replaced with Military Region. Their geographical areas and numerical designations remained the same.

     As the implementation of the Vietnamization Program gained speed, the U.S. military profile of III Corps Tactical Zone and the Vung Tau area changed drastically.

     In the spring Vung Tau, once the Miami Beach of in-country R&R's, became off limits to all U.S. Military personnel not permanently assigned at the Army Airfield. All U.S. personnel authorized to be in the city on official business had to be in uniform, and only the Australian and New Zealand troops were permitted to wear civilian clothing. The military police problems remained for the American, Vietnamese, Australian and South Korean MP units in the city.

Editor’s Notes: The exact reasons for the change to off limit status cannot be found in available MACV, USARV, 18th MP Brigade or 89th MP Group records currently available, however, it’s believed it had to do more with the rampant organized black-marketing and illegal drug activities in the city fueled by the American GI’s than the U.S. stand-down. Since the city was first established as an in-country R&R destination, its base “tourist” economy grew exponentially. If the activities were allowed to exist at their current pace the cities economy might collapse. It was believed that the off limits status, along with a crackdown on the criminal activities and a slower withdrawal of the cities illicit cash economy from the U.S. dollar and Military Payment Certificates back to the use of the South Vietnamese Piaster, would slow and eventually prevent the predicted collapse of the local legitimate Vietnamese business community.

5 February The 720th MP Battalion’s area of responsibility was increased to 65,000 square miles when the 188th MP Company (Vinh Long), the 560th MP Company (Vung Tau) and the 22nd Provost Marshals Office Detachment (Paper Organization with personnel from various 92nd subordinate units in Military Region IV), were attached subordinate to the Battalion after their parent unit, the 92nd MP Battalion, was inactivated.

     The assignments to the Battalion, except for the 188th MP Company and the 22nd Provost Marshal Office Detachment, would be brief as continued force structure changes in Military Region’s III and IV were conducted by Brigade.

     The 146th MP Platoon was reassigned from the 504th MP Battalion, 16th MP Group to the 89th MP Group, 720th MP Battalion for administrative and logistical support, with assignment in Vung Tau.

     The expansion was implemented under 18th MP Brigade OPLAN (Operations Plan) 2-69 “Switch,” and 89th MP Group OPLAN 2-70 “Draw Down II.” The battalion strength was augmented by over 500 new personnel with the addition of three newly assigned units, As the result of the expansion of responsibilities, by 30 April the battalion had detachments located in sixteen separate areas of operation, and new provost marshal responsibilities in Xuan Loc (Long Khan Province), Phu Loi & Lai Khe (Binh Duong Province), Cu Chi (Tinh Binh Province), Vung Tau (Phuoc Tuy Province), MR III, and in Vinh Long (Vinh Long Province), Can Tho (Vinh Binh Province), Tan An (Long An Province), My Tho & Dong Tam (Dinh Tuong Province) and Soc Trang (Ba Xuyen Province), MR IV.

27 February As a result of the Intensified Vietnamization Program, under USARV OPLAN Vung Tau II, the North & South cantonments in Vung Tau were turned over to the ARVN Air Force. USARV units stationed in Vung Tau, to include the battalion provost marshal and military police detachment, were re-stationed, inactivated, or reduced in strength on a phased basis where a minimum size force consistent with the accomplishment of USARV tasks would still be achieved. The remaining units were directed to consolidate within the Vung Tau cantonment area, reducing the size of the installation.

13 March Additionally, the Intensified Vietnamization Program, under USARV OPLAN Vung Tau II, the Ammunition Supply Point in Vung Tau was turned over to the ARVN Air Force. USARV units stationed in Vung Tau, to include the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) Detachment (attached to the battalion), were re-stationed, inactivated, or reduced in strength on a phased basis where a minimum size force consistent with the accomplishment of USARV tasks would still be achieved.

30 April According to USARV Operations Report-Lessons Learned, 1 February-30 April 1970, USARV units stationed in Vung Tau were being restationed, inactivated, or reduced in strength on a phased basis. The actions continued through 31 July 1970 where a minimum size force consistent with the accomplishment of USARV tasked were achieved. As the troops strength was reduced, the remaining units were consolidated within the Vung Tau cantonment area, reducing the size of the installation. Vung Tau Army Airfield operating personnel and equipment were to be withdrawn no later than 30 June 1970. Concurrently, facilities excesses to U.S. and Free World Military Air Force needs were being released to the Government of Vietnam.

     The implementation of USARV OPLAN Vung Tau II will continue with the objective to reduce the U.S. Army presence in Vung Tau.

     According to Battalion Operations Report-Lessons Learned, 1 May-31 July 1970, the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) was providing staffing of man-dog teams for physical security missions at the facilities of Long Binh Ammunition Supply Depot, Long Binh Post Scout Dog Unit for missions in the TAOR, Long Binh Post Perimeter, Tay Ninh Ammunition Supply Depot, Long Than Airfield, Vinh Long Airfield, Vung Tau Ammunition Supply Depot, Soc Trang Airfield, and the Saigon City Port.

     A Company still maintained a detachment at Vung Tau sharing the discipline, law and order duties with the Australian and Vietnamese MP Units until it was withdrawn and replaced by a platoon of the 615th MP Company as the 720th MP Battalion began preparation to stand-down.

     According to available records the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) on Long Binh Post was at this time only a platoon sized unit with a provisional commanding officer. The exact date and circumstances of how and when the detachment stood-down is unknown.

If you can provide any details on the detachment's stand-down, please notify the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.