1969 Time Line ~ Ambush & Recon
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
This Page Last Updated    29 November 2009
If you recognize any of the events listed on this Time Line page and would like to contribute Information, personal stories, documents, media articles or photographs pertaining to them, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided above.
18th Bde.
720th
The Post TET New Years Communist Offensive Attack on Long Binh Post
        The National Archives have reported that there are no Daily Staff Journal/Duty Officer’s Logs, DA form 1594’s, from Battalion S-3 on file for the year of 1969. If anyone can provide access to any or has any information on 720th MP Battalion activities for this year please contact the History Project Manager via the above Email Link.
January The intensity of incidents and intelligence on increased enemy activity within the Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility (TAOR), continued, and were followed by unofficial rumors of a major enemy offensive in the immediate future.
11 January Two sampans carrying six Main Force Viet Cong on the back river in the TAOR were ambushed by members of B Company Ambush Team #76 who traveled to their ambush site via the rubber raft. The ambush resulted in 3 VC killed and the recovery of the two new sampans along with other enemy supplies. Members of B Company participating in the ambush operation were, 1LT Ed Mendez, 2LT Robert Chavis, CPL Thomas T. Watson, PFC Stephen Lee, PFC Steve L. Pye, and others yet to be identified.

23 February, Attack on Long Binh Post The rumors of an impending attack became fact when at 0200 hours [2:00 AM] the first enemy rockets soared across the eastern end of the TAOR and landed on Long Binh Post. A battalion of the 274th Viet Cong Main Force (VCMF) Regiment of the 5 North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Division, attacked the southern perimeter of Long Binh Post. The post and the 720th MP Battalion were informed of the planned attack late in the afternoon of the 22nd.

        Three B Company ambush squads were positioned along the eastern end of the TAOR on the "Finger Of Land," and a reinforced squad of twelve MP's, including two Scout Dog handlers from the 212th MP Company, were positioned on Hill-15 along the Buong River. The remaining elements of the company were held in ready reserve.
        The squad on Hill-15, under constant sniper fire throughout the night and next morning, was able to direct massive artillery, helicopter, and C130 gunship fire on the second wave of enemy troops as they crossed the river disorganizing their assault on the post perimeter. The Ordeal Of Squad #76
        The ambush squads on the finger of land were warned of approaching enemy troop concentrations to their front by Ambush Squad #76 on Hill-15. They consolidated their squads and caused disruption to the ability of the enemy force to reinforce and regroup to press their main assault against the post perimeter. The momentum of the main attack was broken by the B Company Ambush Teams before it had the chance to get organized. Members of the combined squads, Ambush Teams #74, #77 and #78, were SP/4 Paul Hrip and others yet identified. In Defense Of The Finger Of Land

        The last major battle occurred along the berm of the rifle range on Highway 317 in the early morning just after daylight. An ambush platoon reaction team that was held in ready reserve was assigned to conduct a sweep of the tree line where the post perimeter had received heavy enemy fire from during the early morning attack.

        The squad came under an immediate rain of grenades, automatic weapons fire and rocket propelled grenades from an entrenched enemy platoon hidden in the top of the berm. Although at first overwhelmed by the intensity of the enemy fire the MPs stood their ground, suppressed the enemy fire, eliminated an enemy machine gun emplacement and were able to evacuate their seriously wounded point man, SP/4 Brown. When it finally ended with the assistance of several Cobra gunbships, 23 enemy dead were discovered. The MP squad suffered three wounded.

        Members of the reaction team were, SSG Larry J. Mentink, SGT Dennis E. Wiehle, SP/4 Clinton Brown (WIA), SP/4 Fred H. Pazmino (WIA), SP/4 Clay F. Creamer (WIA), SP/4 Michael A. Coto, PFC Robert S. Johnson, PFC Clinton M. Lloyd (WIA), PFC Simpson and others yet identified. Battle At The Rifle Range

        Elements of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment who were inside the post area for perimeter security support were called in to assist the MPs with a sweep and clear operation (east to west) across the Finger of Land.
11th
        Later that afternoon during the clean up of unexploded ordinance on the Rifle Range battle field, SFC Roy L. Hall the Ambush Platoon Sergeant, lost his right hand when an enemy Chicom stick grenade exploded during the collection process.
        A total of 131 enemy bodies were recovered from the combined battle fields, B Company casualties were limited to seven wounded from the ambush platoon. The few enemy soldiers that did penetrate the post perimeter were killed or captured by members of the A & C Company, Battalion Post Reaction Force, perimeter bunker guards and supporting infantry units called in to assist. In Defense Of The Post Perimeter
       The evening of the 23rd, the entire B Company ambush platoon was given the night off and members of A and C Company filled in for them in the TAOR.
25 February Ambush Team #76 was again assigned to set up on Hill-15. Shortly after they disembarked from the Boston Whalers that transported them to the area north of Hill-15 along the Rach Bien River, they came under immediate mortar attack while in the open rice paddies just before darkness fell. The enemy mortar emplacement was located on top of Hil1-15.
        As the squad scrambled for cover along the open paddy dikes CPL Watson directed counter mortar fire to Battalion TOC for a supporting element of the 82nd Airborne Division, situated on the Finger of Land. The infantry mortar team dropped their first salvo on the enemy position silencing the VC tube. No members of the ambush team were injured. Members of Ambush Team #76 were, SSG Donald Meador, CPL Thomas T. Watson, and others yet identified.
82nd

28 March Ambush and Recon Team #75, and #76 were on a joint night operation on Hill-15 in the southeastern sector of the TAOR. The point man for Team #75, SP/4 Cressman, tripped a Viet Cong antipersonnel mine on the trail that runs down from the south side of the hill to the Buong River. Seriously wounded were, SSG Slaven the squad leader, SP/4 Robert Cressman, PFC Larry W. Holton, and  CPL Lee Van Muon, their Popular Forces Interpreter. Other members of the squad have yet to be identified. SSG Richard E, Slaven died from his wounds the next day.

April With the events of 23 February still fresh in their minds ambush strategy in the TAOR changed. Since the main enemy assault on Long Binh Post came out of the jungle along the unpopulated eastern end of the TAOR, the first of two new outpost's was built on Hill-15 at the intersection of the Rach Bien and Buong Rivers. It was manned on a rotating basis by the B Company ambush squads.
12 May An unidentified B Company Ambush Team discovered and destroyed a Viet Cong Anti-personnel Mine consisting of a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) round and a pressure plate. Also that night, a Vietnamese civilian was wounded by another booby trap near An Xuan Village.

June The second of two new outpost's was built on the western end of the  Finger Of Land. It was used as a base of operation for the increased ambush and reconnaissance patrols conducted in the uninhabited eastern end of the TAOR.
Mid-Year A herbicide spraying program was initiated in the TAOR. The primary area covered was the Buong River banks and, primary stream junctions along the southeastern border. The tree and jungle shrouded stream junctions were the routes used by the enemy during the 23 February 1969 Post Tet attack on Long Binh Post. The spraying was conducted by U.S. Naval boats adapted for that use, on board security was provided by B Company Ambush Teams.
ATTENTION If you participated in this defoliation mission, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
 
 
2 August, All Outpost Missions In The TAOR Terminated B Company abandoned the two fortified command post, the Outpost’s on Hill-15 and the Finger of Land, built in the spring of 1969. The fortifications at both locations were destroyed. The four Village Outpost  staffed from late 1967, #1 An Xuan, #2 Long Hung, #3 An Hoa Hung and #4 Long Binh Tan, were turned over to the local Popular Forces. All B Company personnel withdrawn from the facilities were committed to increased reconnaissance and ambush missions within the Tactical Area of Responsibility.

11 November SP/4’s Jared Kelley and John R. Klemm, tend to their gear during a recon mission in the Tactical Area Of Responsibility.

ATTENTION If you participated in any of the incidents listed on this page or know of some that are not, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.