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The first official record of a Battalion troops being assigned to the convoy escort mission from Long Binh Post to Xuan Loc was named Operation OVERSEER in November of 1966. There is no direct mention of providing troops for a detachment mission, however, B Company was cited as having provided personnel to assist the ARVN Quan Canh detachment in Xuan Loc with building an improved MP Desk.
Sometime later B Company was the first to be detailed to assign a platoon of MP's to the discipline, law, and order mission in support of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Blackhorse base camp. The B Company MP's also provided town patrols in the nearby town of Xuan Loc.
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From late October 1966 through 1968 all three of the Battalion's organic companies, and the attached 615th MP Company were involved in detachment and convoy escort duty.
In July 1967 the 11thArmored Cavalry began its road clearing operations north of Xuan Loc under Operation IMPORIA.on 21 July 1967. The 615th was called upon to provide a detachment to supply escort and highway security.
Before, during and after the Communist Tet Offensive in 1968, the convoy underwent several changes. It was switched from a night run to a day run and the type and number of escort vehicles fluctuated between gun jeeps and Armored Personnel Carriers.
"Reflections" SP/4 Lynn Jorgensen, 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1967-1968.
"Reflections" SGT James F. Ruffer, 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1967-1968.
"Reflections-1" SGT Gary A. Sundt, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, October 1967-October 1968.
Once the enemy forces were cleared from the area it was changed from a daily to a contingency schedule.
"Reflections-2" SGT Gary A. Sundt, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, October 1967-October 1968.
"Reflections" SP/4 Frederick W. “Rick” Kreidler, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, October 1967-January 1969.
"Reflections" SP/4 Thomas A. McKeon, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1968-1969.
By October 1969 the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was reassigned to the Cambodian Border region of III Corps Tactical Zone and the base camp became the home of the ARVN 18th Infantry Division. The Battalion detachment and convoy escort missions ended.
In early 1970 C Company was assigned to the new detachment mission at Xuan Loc. The new crew, under the supervision of SFC Chester A. "The Judge" Baker, would earn the nickname of Bakers Bastards, and their primary mission was to provide both military police discipline, law and order support to the various U.S. support units in the vicinity of Xuan Loc, and roadway security on the Main Supply Routes of Highway QL-1 and Highway QL-20.
"Reflections" SP/4 George Long, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1970-1971.
Editors Note: A special thank you to SSG Tracy E. Usury (CW4 Retired) C Company, 720th MP Battalion, Crime Suppression Team Logistics, 8th MP Group CI, January 1970-March 1972, for his assistance in providing the information on Xuan Loc operations for the 1970 Battalion Timeline.
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if you served at this detachment or on the convoy escorts and would like to contribute any information, personal stories, documents, media articles, photographs, or can provide information on any events not listed in the Battalion Timeline, please take a moment to contact Tom Watson the History Project & Website Manager at the Email Link provided below. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Battalion history and always welcomed here.
This Timeline has been reduced to a summary. All specific significant dated events and corresponding "Date or Mission Specific" photographs of this detachment-convoy Timeline have been incorporated into the main Battalion Timeline pages.
