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1968 Timeline ~ 615th MP Company 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Long Binh Post ~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
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31 January The major Viet Cong attack on Long Binh Post came from the northwest, Bien Hoa area. Escorting ammunition and supplies to areas hit by the enemy in III Corps Tactical Zone during the Tet Offensive was one of many missions performed by the 720th MP Battalion. The Battalion escorted over a dozen resupply convoys to Saigon during the battle. A Company and the 615th MP Company, brought ammunition and rations to Saigon to the embattled 716th MP Battalion. Other elements of the Battalion remained in Saigon with two V-100 armored commando cars to reinforce the 716th. Fuel, ammunition, mail and VIP’s were safely escorted to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon by companies A, B and the 615th. The 615th and B Company also escorted ammunition from the 3rd Ordnance Supply Depot at Long Binh Post to the Bien Hoa Air Base which had also been attacked. |
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Photographs Taken During Tet 1968 |
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The urgent need of the supplies made it necessary to run the convoys both day and night. During the attack on the City of Bien Hoa, twenty-six MP’s from B Company, who were on patrol in the city began working 24 hour days. They watched for snipers, provided general security and supported elements from the 9th Infantry Division.
An hour after Long Binh Post went on alert early 31 January, C Company established check points on the surrounding highways, including 1A which links Long Binh Post to Saigon. The saw that only military traffic used the highway. During the entire period of the Tet Offensive the 720th kept a reaction force of eighty men, twenty from each company, on alert. |
February |
1 February the reaction force was called to assist elements of the 95th MP Battalion who were pinned down by enemy firing at the Cogido barge site west of Long Binh Post. The Battalion escorted reinforcements from the 95th MP Battalion to the site. Upon arrival at the barge site they became the targets of heavy small arms fire and called for armored assistance. An armored personnel carrier arrived from 720th MP Battalion HQ and assisted in the evacuation of one man wounded in the exchange of fire. |
Reflection "After returning from a visit to my 3rd Platoon at their detachment at Tan An, they were attached to the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, Long An Province, I hit the rack at 2200 hours [10:00 PM]. At a bit after midnight, I felt glass breaking and tasted a funny dust in my mouth. I jolted up in my sack as a fluorescent light fixture in the ceiling above me was dislodged by an explosion. There were loud explosions in the distance; it appeared that Long Binh was under attack, or damn close to it. The Tet Offensive had begun, though I didn’t know it at that moment. I quickly got my gear on, grabbed my web gear and weapon, and ran to the Tactical Operations Center. Many of us were wiping sleep from our eyes, but there was too much to do for any lingering thoughts of blanket and pillow. Find our people, take inventory, reinforce the static guard posts around Long Binh, set up a radio system outside the orderly room, get everyone into full combat gear and out of their tents, and grab rifles and ammo and see what was going on. By then flares were lighting up the sky, tracer rounds were going off, dull explosions were reverberating from the perimeter, and all sorts of things were racing through our minds. Many were praying and wishing they had written home more often. |
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We stayed in our positions all night monitoring our radios, and heard the battle of Saigon going on because we also monitored the WACO, code name for the 716th MP Battalion radio net in Saigon. I got some of the chatter taped because I had set up my portable radio in the back of my jeep, listening to the warriors talking excitedly about their ongoing fight with the VC. It was obvious to all of us that the war was never going to be the same after this. The next day we dispatched a V100 commando vehicle with crew to Saigon to help out the 716th MP’s. It was a few days before we were able to restore radio communication with our platoon to the south, but for a few injuries and lost equipment they came through OK, even though their compound was attacked throughout the night." CPT Arnold Daxe, Jr. (COL Ret.) Commanding Officer, 615th MP Company, 720th & 95th MP Battalions, February 1967 to February 1968. |
Reflection "It was the first morning of Tet, 31 January 68. The sun was up so it had to be sometime after 0600 (6:00 AM). We had all been up since about 0300 (3:00 AM), when the whole thing started. We learned later that “Charlie” [Viet Cong] had breached the ammo dump perimeter and was running around throwing satchel charges onto the pads of ammo. I remember one in particular. You could see the shock wave surrounding the mushroom cloud as it exploded. Pretty sight...but!!! We did send some of our MP's in a duce and a half [2&1/2 ton truck] to the ammo dump to help the security forces chase Charlie down. Who went? I don't remember. Also that morning CPT Arnold “Arnie” Daxe, Jr. our Commanding Officer, and a few of us were listening to the radio in one of the jeeps outside the orderly room and some VC or NVA apparently got hold of a PRC-25 radio [field radio] and kept counting from one to ten in Vietnamese to try and block our transmissions. The little PRC-25 didn't hold up to the larger radios. We could talk over it. I'll bet that pissed that VC/NVA off"! SGT James F. Ruffer, 615th MP Company, 720th & 95th MP Battalions, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, November 1967 to August 1968. |
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10 February The Tan An Detachment was attacked by a Battalion sized force of Viet Cong in the early morning.
Under 18th MP Brigade instructions issued on 24 April 1967, a military police needs survey for Long Binh Post was conducted by the III CTZ Provost Marshal. With the programmed increase of troops strength from 19,000 to 42,000 expected by August 1967 and a projected increase to 80,000 by early 1968, it was recommended that provost marshal and military police operations needed a dedicate PMO section (4 officers and 13 enlisted men) and one MP Company (4 officers and 151 enlisted men) dedicated to the mission. |
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As a direct result of this survey B Company's transition of its discipline, law and order mission on in Bien Hoa and on Long Binh Post over the past year was slowly assimilated by the 615th MP Company, and on 10 February the 615th MP Company was finally detached from the Battalion and reassigned to the 95th MP Battalion on Long Binh Post with its primary duties changed from direct combat support to a discipline, law and order mission. Responsibilities for their AO in the new TAOR was assimilated by the 720th MP Battalion ambush teams |
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The Company duties changed from primarily combat support-service to more traditional military police functions. The company was now responsible for discipline, law, and order patrols on Long Binh Post; combined discipline, law, and order patrols with the Vietnamese National Police/Canh Sat, and Military Police/Quan Canh in the city of Bien Hoa; Highway Patrol. |
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With the downtown area of Bien Hoa "off limits" to all American personnel the 64 registered bars and other numerous establishments that catered to the allied soldiers required constant patrolling. The patrols worked together to deter illegal activities in downtown Bien Hoa involving: control of contraband; the black marketing activities; narcotics abuse; pass violations. The highway patrols enforced many of the same functions in addition to traffic enforcement and check points along Highway 1A from Bien Hoa to Thu Duc, and The Newport (Saigon River) Bridge. |
The heavy volume of civilian and military traffic also resulted in numerous vehicle crashes that needed combined Vietnamese and U.S. Military and civilian investigation. They also handled the Operation SHOTGUN Escorts involving security for medical evacuee transports to Bien Hoa and Tan Son Nhut Airbase's, and performed Long Binh Post Reaction Force duty, where they manned designated bunkers and access gates during alerts of enemy activity. |
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The exact date has yet to be determined but the new official company mascot Andy The Bloodhound arrived at the Company sometime after February 1968. However, prior to his arrival a local adopted stray named "Rebel" was the men's favorite until his accidental death. |
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19 February Platoon Leader CPT Maurice T. Fitzgerald was reassigned as the new 720th MP Battalion Intelligence and Security Officer (S2). |
March |
22 March CPT Alfred A. Alexander, Commanding Officer of the 615th MP Company, was reassigned to duties as the new 720th MP Battalion Supply Officer (S4). |
June |
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Exact Date Unknown CPT Frederick W. Honerkamp, III was assigned as Company Commander. |
August |
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2 August The 720th MP Battalion and attached 615th MP Company are awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for actions during 1 June 1967 through 8 February 1968.
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September |
Shoot Out At Tu Duc |
20 September Shortly after 1200 hours and seven miles from Saigon near the city of Thu Duc, SP/4 George H. Ross and PFC Daniel M. Ferrara were on a combined patrol with their Canh Sat (Vietnamese National Police) and Quan Canh (Vietnamese MP) counterparts when they received a radio alert through the Vietnamese Police radio net. They were informed that four U.S. Army deserters were traveling in a hijacked Vietnamese taxi north from Saigon and were wanted for armed robbery, one was also a suspect in a murder during the Long Binh Stockade riot. They were proceeding south towards Saigon through the town of Thu Duc on Highway #316 when their Vietnamese counterparts spotted the hijacked taxi traveling past them north bound. The patrol driver, PFC Ferrara, initiated a pursuit with red light and siren but the cab wouldn’t pull over. He managed to pass them and cut the cab off onto the side of the roadway. Both MP’s exited their jeep and approached the taxi with their weapons at the ready. PFC Ferrara the drivers side armed with his M16, and SP/4 Ross the passengers side armed with his .45 service weapon. One of the GI’s exited the cab on the passengers side as PFC Ferrara looked into the rear window of the drivers side and observed another one of the GI’s bring up a carbine. Ferrara immediately shouted a warning to SP/4 Ross. Ross became involved in a struggle for a small .25 caliber Browning hand gun the passenger pulled on him. During the struggle the GI pulled the trigger but the chamber was empty and Ross was able to take cover in the roadside ditch. PFC Ferrara took cover at the corner of a nearby building. Their Vietnamese counterparts took cover behind the patrol jeep. The wanted GI’s opened fire on the combined patrol. The MP’s returned fire, PFC Ferrara with his M16 on full automatic and SP/4 Ross with his .45. The GI who pulled the hand gun on Ross was struck numerous times and fell dead in the roadside ditch. The remaining suspects in the cab yelled they wanted to surrender. Two of the three soldiers in the cab were wounded in the exchange of gunfire, the cab driver was unharmed. The Quan Canh Hoa, was wounded and a young Vietnamese girl who was a bystander was also wounded. After securing the suspects, weapons and scene, the MP’s called on their jeep radio for medical assistance and back up but found their jeep radio antenna was damaged so it took some time for assistance to finally arrive. |
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The two wounded suspects, the Quan Canh and Vietnamese girl, recovered from their wounds. SP/4 Ross and PFC Ferrara were later awarded a plaque from the Vietnamese government acknowledging their valor in the apprehension of the suspects. Both were also nominated for and later received the Soldiers Medal.. SP/4 Ross received his in a presentation at Long Binh Post and was later promoted to the rank of Sergeant. PFC Ferrara was a shortimer at the time and received his award after his discharge from the Army. |
November |
25 November SP/4 Robert Kenneth Houle, age 26, of Providence, Rhode Island, died from injuries received as the result of a non-hostile vehicle crash in Gia Dinh Province. He received a posthumous promotion to the rank of Sergeant. Details of the circumstances surrounding his casualty are pending further research.
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December |
Exact date unknown The company mascot Andy The Bloodhound goes missing but is later recovered. The incident results in a controversy. |
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Exact date unknown Members of the 615th MP Company receive decorations for actions related to the Thu Duc Detachment sometime in 1968.
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