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Vinh Long Detachment ~ 1970 ~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~ This Page Last Updated 13 February 2009 |
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The Redesignation of the 188th MP Company and B Company |
At the beginning of 1970 the Vinh Long Detachment was staffed by members of the 188th MP Company and 22nd Provost Marshal Office Detachment, all subordinate to the 92nd MP Battalion. |
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The members of the detachment performed combined (ARVN MP & U.S. MP) discipline, law and order patrols in the town, traffic control at the ferry crossing between Vinh Long, Sadec and My Tho and roadway security on Highway QL-4 between Vinh Long to My Tho. The Vinh Long Detachment was running daily convoy escorts to Can Tho with their V100 Commando Cars. The MP crews that drove the V100 Commando Cars very seldom utilized the main roadway through the city because it was narrow and crowded with pedestrians and smaller civilian vehicular traffic. With the Mekong Delta Region being primarily supplied via river transport most of the convoy escort missions were directed on Highway 4. The MP's at each detachment would handle highway escorts through their areas of operations. |
5 February The 188th Military Police Company who manned a detachment conducting the discipline, law and order assignment in Vinh Long was reassigned subordinate to the command of the 720th MP Battalion when its parent unit the 92nd MP Battalion was the first MP Headquarters to be deactivated and withdrawn from Vietnam. |
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14 March CPT Raymond F. Cox of the 188th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion was assigned as the Provost Marshal of Vinh Long Province and served in that capacity until his reassignment in August to Headquarters Detachment as Adjutant to LTC Robert P. Schmitz, the 720th MP Battalion Commander. |
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The Mekong Ferry located at the junction of the Tien Giang and Hua Giang Rivers was approximately 8 to 9 miles west of Vinh Long. Since this was the major highway of the Mekong Delta and having no bridge at the river, the traffic bottleneck was terrible. The detachment mission for traffic control and security of the ferry was essential to maintain the life line of commerce in the delta region. |
The Combined Operations Police and MP Desk was located across an alley from the Vietnamese National Police Jail in what was called "Old Vinh Long." This part of the city was built sometime during the French colonialist of Vietnam. The National Police (Cahn Sat) often held "Cock Fights" at their jail in the late afternoons. To the west of Old Vinh Long was a strip of bars, shops, restaurants, and other establishments that catered primarily to the US and other allied troops in and around the city." |
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The MP Compound |
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The Detachment Headquarters was a two story building located 1 to 2 miles outside of downtown Vinh Long, just off Highway QL4. The compound was surrounded by several barbed wire fences, the entrance was guarded by a CONEX container sandbagged bunker at the front gate, a bunker at each corner and a watch tower on the roof (the highest part of the structure) was staffed in the evenings. There were also gun ports cut out of the brick and cement facade on the roof. The rear yard of the compound served as motor pool and secure parking area for the detachment jeeps and V100 Commando Cars. The compound Day Room containing the "Last Chance Saloon" and the sleeping areas were located on the second floor. The Headquarters offices, mail room, mess hall, radio shop, armory and ammunition storage, showers and bathroom were all located on the first floor. The closest military units in the same area were an Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam (ARVN) armored units and two ARVN artillery units. |
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The "Last Chance Saloon" |
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15 July The official redesignation (on morning report) of B Company, 720th MP Battalion, on Long Binh Post, III Corps Tactical Zone, as the 188th MP Company, and the 188th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, in Vinh Long, IV Corps Tactical Zone, Mekong Delta, as B Company, became official. |
| 27 July 1LT Phillip J. Simms was assigned as the Deputy Provost Marshal, 720th MP Battalion for Vinh Long. |
August CPT Raymond F. Cox was transferred from his position of Provost Marshal Vinh Long to that of Adjutant to LTC Robert P. Schmitz, the 720th MP Battalion Commander. |
September The 188th MP Company was scheduled for reassignment to DaNang in II Corps Tactical Zone. To avoid the logistical problem associated with the move, B Company who had just completed their assignment from Operation STABILIZE in the Tactical Area Of Responsibility on 25 July, was redesignated as the 188th and sent to DaNang with CPT Dennis Fogarty Commanding. They became part of the 504 MP Battalion, 16th MP Group. |
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The 188th already stationed in the Mekong Delta was redesignated as B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group with CPT Walter B. Koszyk Commanding, and remained in their assignments in the Mekong Delta region of IV Corps. |
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Some members of each company remained while others were reassigned to DaNang and other local MP units. It Was A Real Housecleaning SP/4 Charles M. Phelan, 188th MP Company & B Company, 720th MP Battalion 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, July 1969 to September 1970. The mission of the 188th MP Company in Vinh Long came to an end, operations were moved to DaNang. September-October The 720th MP Battalion Civic Action program provided the Good Shepherd Orphanage support in the form of troop labor and equipment to assist in building repairs, light fixtures for classrooms and a request was forwarded to the U.S. for community donations of needed items such as sheets, pillow cases, pillows, etc. 25 December The 720th MP Battalion Civic Action Council and Vinh Long Detachment members presented a Christmas party to the children at the Good Shepherd Orphanage, during which time food and gifts consisting of clothing, toys and candy were made available for each child. A Christmas pageant was performed by the younger children for the MP’s.
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720th
18th Bde.
92nd 
16th 
504th 
89th 
