~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association Vietnam History Project ~ |
Tay Ninh Detachment |
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The Headquarters of the 25th Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning) was located at the Tay Ninh Base Camp in III Corps Tactical Zone, Tay Ninh Province. Support elements were also located at the Cu Chi Base Camp, and several scattered remote fire support bases. The 720th MP Battalion supplemented the 25th MP Company at both, Cu Chi and the Tay Ninh Base Camps. |
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1967 |
19 April A Platoon sized detachment from A Company was assigned to the Tay Ninh Base Camp where they performed combined discipline, law and order patrols with Vietnamese National Police, road security patrols, traffic accident investigation, POW transport and convoy escort in support of the 25th MP Company, and the 25th Infantry Division Provost Marshal. |
Also stationed at the Tay Ninh Base Camp was a Ranger Company of the Philippine Civic Action Group-Vietnam or PHILCAG-V. The Philipinos on occasion worked with the MPs and when on guard duty at the main gate would park their Armored Personnel Carrier there. |
The amenities at the detachment were less than stellar but they did have a shower, a tent over your head to sleep, as long as the mortar pit next door wasn't in action.
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19 August At 2105 hours (9:05 PM), CPL Robert Earl Clowe, age 22, and SP/4 Wallace Michael Jackson, age 20, A Company, just left the Tay Ninh compound gate in a jeep when they were flagged down by three young female Vietnamese Nationals approximately 250 meters outside the gate. When they stopped to investigate they were ambushed by Viet Cong elements hidden in hedge rows on both side of the roadway. Both MPs died at the scene. |
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1967 Photographs |
G1359a ? |
Detachment members enjoy a cook out. |
G1296 | PFC John P. Roides |
G1356 | PFC Potocki and others enjoy a BBQ. |
G1379 | Members SP/4 Behrens, PFC Dubicz, PFC Hoey, PFC Biggs. |
G2877 | SGT Miles and Vietnamese workers. |
1968 |
1 November through 11 November the 1st Air Cavalry moved into the Tay Ninh Base Camp. C Company gun jeeps escorted the convoy from the Newport Docks to Tay Ninh. |
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1968 Photographs |
Nu Ba Din, "Black Virgin Mountain." |
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SGT Tom French relaxing. |
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SP/4 Bob Salo between assignments. |
1969 |
1969 Photographs |
Oct-Street scene in Tay Ninh City. |
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G0717 | PFC Stafursky, C Company, checking out a Cobra Gun Ship. |
1970 |
1 October The 720th MP Battalion was once again assigned responsibility for discipline, law and order at the Tay Ninh Base Camp. Construction of new Provost Marshal Office (PMO) and MP Desk facilities was begun. |
1971 Major Realignment of A & C Company Duties |
18 May The 720th MP Battalion realigned the combat support and combat service support missions within III Corps Tactical Zone which were previously accomplished by A and C Company. As a result A Company assumed responsibility and assimilated all personnel and equipment for all C Company Provost Marshal duties at the Tay Ninh Detachment and C Company assumed responsibilities for the Tay Ninh Convoy escort. |
26 May The battalion initiated a major realignment of drug enforcement responsibility for drug violations reverted from the Criminal Investigation Division to the road MPs, including processing all evidence and reports. One additional clerk had to be added to the A Company Tay Ninh PMO to handle the additional workload. |
4 July The Battalion initiated a crackdown on black-marketing activities and was required to position one MP at the entrance and exit to the post exchange facilities at Tay Ninh to insure that only authorized personnel used the exchange and that customers did not abuse their rations privileges. |
23 July The Tay Ninh Base Camp was attacked in the early morning, the detachment barracks and Provost Marshal Office was destroyed and several members of the A Company, 720th MP Battalion Detachment stationed there were wounded. |
The attack resulted in the total destruction of the detachment compound rendering the barracks, Provost Marshal Office, weapons shed, and outhouse useless, so the members moved into the nearby MACV Compound. |
22 August Discipline, law and order patrol and convoy escort activities were curtailed at the detachment due to the assignment of forty Battalion enlisted men and one officer in support of the Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center (DAHC) on Long Binh Post. |
1971 Photographs |
1972 |
May-June-July With the Battalion preparing for stand-down A Company closed down the Tay Ninh Detachment. All assets were return to the company area on Long Binh Post. |
Oooop's SP/4 John M. Hyde, A Company & 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, December 1971 to August 1972. |
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