Some of the earliest escorts assignments in the area were convoys destined for the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, both stationed at Tay Ninh North. Both units, along with the 25th, were involved in several large scale search and destroy missions in the area to eliminate the threat against Saigon during the troop buildup of 1966-1967.

   The needed supplies of ammunition, fuel and food to support the multi-divisional operations both before and during the fighting, was critical.

   The vehicles formed at the marshaling area on Long Binh Post in the darkness of the early morning where the MP Escorts would meet and receive their assignments to specific march units.

   From 1967 through 1970 (until the Vietnamization process began in earnest) a normal convoy might have as few as fifty vehicles and as many as three-hundred.

   A pre-designated serial of trucks assigned to resupply Cu Chi, Go Dau Ha and Dau Tieng would split from the main convoy and enter the Cu Chi Base Camp as the remainder of the convoy would continue on to the Tay Ninh Base Camp.

   Once the trucks reached the safety of the Tay Ninh Base Camp, the MPs would break away and form up at the 25th MP Company or the 720th MP Battalion Tay Ninh Detachment.

   Ask any Vietnam Veteran that worked at or visited the Tay Ninh area what the most stunning land feature was and he will tell you "Nui Bau Dinh," the Black Virgin Mountain. It almost seemed to be a freak of nature, out of place, the majestic peak rising up towards the sky in this otherwise flat expanse of land.

   The Tay Ninh Convoy was the largest and longest continuous daily convoy run during the entire war. During the period of Vietnamization of the war the numbers of vehicles began to drop as U.S. Military and allied units in the Tay Ninh area were deactivated and replaced by Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam (ARVN) units.

   Without this crucial daily supply run the security and safety of Tay Ninh City, Chu Chi, and the surrounding country side would be in immediate jeopardy.

   Most of the more specific details of the convoy escorts  are incorporated into the chronology of the more comprehensive daily Battalion Time Line, and may be linked from this page for your review. If you find a specific incident that is not linked, please notify the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.

   Prior to being "officially" assigned to the mission, A, B & C Company were often asked to provide MP drivers for some of the ammunition trucks that carried supplies from the 3rd Ordnance Ammunition Supply Depot on Long Binh Post to Cu Chi and Tay Ninh base camps of the 25th Infantry Division.

 Who the hell could eat at this time of the day !  "The Tay Ninh convoy used to leave real early in the morning like 0330 hours [3:30 AM] or so.

   One morning I was leaning on my jeep waiting for all of the trucks to arrive and I was half asleep. I heard someone talking and looked around and a three star general was walking down asking everyone about the food and if they had eaten.

   Startled, I just said "yes, it was OK." The general then asked the older guy I was working with (he was maybe 23). He pushed his helmet up and with bloodshot eyes said to the general, "who the hell could eat at this time of the day!"

   The general laughed and said "I'm with you buddy." SP/4 Charles R. Patrick, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, October 1966 to October 1967.

 Echo, echo, echo !  "SP/4 Robert C. Schlag, Jr. was in the jeep behind me, his call sign was "Smooth Glacier 9."

   The escort radio net had been a source of entertaining goofiness all day and SGT Norman J. E. Eck came on the net and warned all, "the next person playing on the radio will answer to me."

   We cleared a portable bridge next to a blown one (convoy progress check point) and reported "Smooth Glacier 8 clear [passed] Charlie Papa Echo."

   SP/4 Schlag then reported, "Smooth Glacier 9 clear Charlie Papa Echo.... echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo."

    Both A & C Companies would also eventually be rotated into the early Tay Ninh convoy escort program.

2 January The Battalion was "officially" assigned by Group to the responsibility of conducting the daily supply convoy escorts to Cu Chi and Tay Ninh.

20 February The Battalion committed one officer and twenty-four enlisted men in direct support of the 1st Infantry Division, and two officers and seventy-four enlisted men in direct support of the 25th Infantry Division in Operation JUNCTION CITY during the period of 20 February to 23 April 1967.

26 June all B Company troops and assets are officially reassigned from the convoy escort rotation to the counterinsurgency-pacification mission in the Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility under Operation STABILIZE .All A & C Company duties in the TAOR were reassigned to B Company.

My Typical Day   "I arrived in Vietnam on 2 April 1968. I was assigned to B Company, 720th MP Battalion from April until June, 1968. During my tour of duty with the Battalion, I was assigned convoy duty, specifically the Tay Ninh Convoy. The convoy ran from Long Binh Post to Tay Ninh. A typical day of duty involved awakening at 2:00 AM. After getting my gear together, I would go to the motor pool and get our assigned jeep. There would, on average, be 7 jeeps assigned to the convoy. Each jeep had three MP's...a driver, machine gunner and a Sergeant who operated the radio and carried the maps.

   Each MP carried an M16 rifle and Colt 45cal pistol. Also assigned to the jeep was an M79 Grenade Launcher and M60 Machine gun. I was either assigned as the driver or machine gunner. If I was assigned as driver my duties were to perform 'first echelon' maintenance on the jeep. This consisted of checking the fuel, oil, water and battery. Often times I was assigned as the machine gunner. which involved checking out the M60 from the arms room and setting it up on the jeep. I quickly learned from others how to keep the M60 clean during the convoy. I would wrap a poncho liner around it, leaving the trigger and butt exposed. We would marshal at a specified area where the convoy would assemble. I recall approximately 75 vehicles being the smallest convoy, the largest consisted of approximately 240 vehicles. By 6:00 AM the convoy would be on the road headed to Tay NInh. During the run we would travel through Saigon and past the Ton Son Nhut Air Base on Highway 1. Then on towards Cu Chi, where we would stop for a break. During the break there were several kids who would show up. I recall one small child we called "Mop." He was sort of the mascot for us.

   This kid would get candy, food and a lot of attention. After a while we would be on our way again. I do not recall any other villages by name but I do recall one particular Check Point... "Charlie Papa 21." I don't why I recall this particular Check Point. It has been in my mind from time to time for all these years."

   When we approached the Michelin Rubber Plantation things would get very tense. I can recall Choppers overhead, firing rockets into that area. There was also a fire support base to our right. Then, from miles away, we could always see the Nui Ba Den...Black Virgin Mountain. I have left out several key sites but, it is only because I don't recall them or my memory of them is to vague. When the convoy approached Tay Ninh there seemed to always be a warning to check our gas masks.

   I seem to recall that we would be arriving in Tay Ninh around 1 or 2:00 PM. While the trucks were being unloaded would refuel and then go to a designated area for rest. Most would sit around and bull-shit or some would nap. Then the long trip back to Long Binh would begin once again. There were times when the Monsoon Rains came, it would rain like hell. When it did the first thing I would do is check and make sure my cigarettes were secure so they wouldn't get wet. After trying several times to light a soggy cigarette it didn't take long to learn to keep them dry.

   But the most memorable thing about the Monsoons was the temperature of the rain, it would feel very cold, cold enough for a field jacket. To get warm I would stand near the tail pipe of the jeep whenever we were stopped. I recall stopping one time near Cu Chi on our way back to Long Binh, I think it was because of some security issues about the highway. I was standing at the back of the jeep near the tailpipe warming up when I looked around and saw the tallest Vietnamese I had ever seen. I recall him being an officer. He was well over six foot tall. Most often we would take the same route back but, there were a couple of times when we took a different route. I do not recall this route name. I do recall a Highway 1A. My memory of Highway 1 and Highway 1A may be the same...I'm not sure. We would get back to Long Binh Post around midnight. At this time we would clean and turn in our weapons and jeep. Then we would off duty for 24 hours and start all over again."  SP/4 Larry J. Kimbrough, B Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, April 1968 to June 1968, and 557th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, June 1968 to March 1969.

25 August In the area of Go Dau Ha, Tay Ninh Province, III Corps Tactical Zone, the 88th North Vietnamese Regiment set up a mile and-a-half long "kill zone" along both sides of Highway QL-22 and ambushed the 81 vehicle convoy on its way to Tay Ninh. The battle which lasted through the evening and into the next morning resulted in numerous casualties on both sides before the three battalions of NVA were finally driven from the field. The C Company convoy escort team suffered 1 KIA and 6 WIA.

February-April During the months of February, March and April the convoy was being run every other day.

18 May The Battalion realigned its combat support and combat service support missions within Military Region III (III Corps Tactical Zone) which were previously accomplished by A and C Company.

   As a result, C Company assumed responsibility and assimilated all personnel and equipment for all A Company convoy escort duties including the Cu Chi / Tay Ninh Convoy.