720th
Long Gaio ~ Blackhorse ~ Xuan Loc Detachment's Time Line
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This Page Last Updated 18 February 2008
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The Xuan Loc Located approximately forty-five miles south east of Long Binh Post. The city of Xuan Loc was located in Long Khanh Province. III Corps Tactical Zone. The largest allied military base being Blackhorse, home of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

        During the Vietnam War the detachment was physically located in or near the city of Xuan Loc at several locations, and referred to under several different names, Long Gaio, Blackhorse, Xuan Loc, and Husky.
1966

5 November B Company was detailed to assign a platoon of MP's to the discipline, law, and order mission in support of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, at their Blackhorse base camp. The B Company MPs would also provided town patrols in the neighboring village of Xuan Loc.
11th
1967
11 May, 0045 hours [12:45 AM], SGT Keith D. Allen, 615th MP Company, Bien Hoa Desk Sergeant, notified Battalion Operations that PFC Herbert E. Weber, and PFC George O. Gluch, B Company, Xuan Loc Detachment, were on patrol near the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Artillery, Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) compound, when a Claymore mine exploded. Their jeep was sprayed with mud, there were no injuries or damage to them or the vehicle. There was one ARVN killed in action (KIA) and two ARVN wounded in action (WIA), inside the compound.
 
1968    The Tet New Year's Communist Offensive
1 February Local villagers began fleeing their rural homes to the city warning of an imminent Viet Cong (VC) attack. At 1550 hours [3:50PM] Viet Cong units attacked the city, U.S. units arrived to reinforce the ARVN's and the VC assaults were repulsed.
2 February, 0130 hours [1:30AM] through 2245 hours [10:45PM] The Viet Cong reinitiated four new attacks on the city and ARVN bases.
3 February, 0700 hours [7:00AM] U.S. and ARVN defenders finally cleared the city of enemy forces.
 
Click Here To View The Xuan Loc Tet Offensive After Action Report
April A Company was assigned to the Discipline, Law, and Order mission, and provided a 26 man detachment, 1 officer and 25 enlisted men in support of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Blackhorse Base Camp . Four MP's also performed combined patrols with the Quan Canh (Vietnamese Army MP’s) in the neighboring village of Xuan Loc.
Mar-Apr-May The detachment processed 12 Vietnamese detainees for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Of the twelve none was deemed a prisoner of war.
24 May, 1123 hours [11:23 PM], SP/4 Auatrone, Desk Sergeant, Blackhorse Detachment, notified this office that SP/4 Lanning had accidentially shot SP/4 Arnold in the abdomen, in a barracks of their unit. Both EM (enlisted men) are from the 551st Light Maintenance Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
1969
 
24 October The 720th MP Battalion discipline, law and order detachment and convoy commitment at the Black Horse Base Camp of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment were terminated upon turnover of the base to the 18th Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam (ARVN), Division.
1970     "Bakers Bastards" take over MP operations at Xuan Loc
 
March-April C Company was assigned to the detachment mission at Blackhorse and Xuan Loc. The detachment in addition to the routine discipline, law and order mission also assisted with convoy escort duties.
 
        The primary mission of the detachment was to provide both MP discipline, law and order support to the town of Xuan Loc located in Long Kanh Province, and the MSR’s ( Main Supply Routes ) of Highway QL-1 and Highway QL-20. The area of operations was from the beginning of Long Kanh Province on Highway QL-1, as well as the intersection of QL-1 and highway QL-20 through to Dinh Quan Province.
 
        During their stay at the detachment the C Company MP’s handled a diverse assortment of incidents from preliminary investigations of murders, AWOL and desertion violations, alcohol and drug abuse, and vehicle fatalities, the result of numerous traffic crashes.
 
        The members of the original detachment were SFC Chester A. Baker, the detachment NCOIC who was know as "The Judge," and the enlisted members who were referred to as "Baker's Bastards." They were SGT Griffin, SP/4 Richard Minoque, SP/4 Ogle, SP/4 Tracy E. Usry, SP/4 Jensen, SP/4 Bretz, SP/4 Davis, SP/4 Burnett, SP/4 Hartman, SP/4 Chapman "Bacsi," PFC Centers, PFC Brinkmyer, PFC Lee A. “Junior” Simmons, PFC Marion, and PFC Brumwell.
 
The Judge.... Bakers Bastards    SP/4 Tracy E. Usry (CW4 Retired), C Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, January 1970 to March 1972.
 
        The compound was initially a II Field Force Compound named "Husky Compound." It essentially was a fire support base (FSB) on the outskirts east of town. Over time a "mini" village had grown up around it to support the base.
2FF
 
 
        There was a street of bars immediately outside of the gate, which had a big trade in prostitution, black marketing, and small support businesses related to the servicing of the vehicles used by the U.S. and allied forces in the area. You could get your vehicle washed, painted, tires fixed, etc.
 
        The primary unit on the base was an artillery unit consisting of 175 millimeter field guns, and "Dusters." The Dusters were twin 40 mm anti-aircraft guns mounted on a light armored chassis. They were used to provide convoy escort and base perimeter support. They also had quad fifty (four 50 caliber machine guns collectively mounted) on a deuce-and-a-half truck as well. Also located on the compound was a "contact" team that responded wherever there was a need to repair a vehicle of any sort. The MP’s often provided gun jeep support to them when they had to go out in the evening hours or to an area where there was a good chance of enemy activity.
 
        Located in the detachment Area of Operations (AO) in the town of Xuan Loc were: Two Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) teams, #46, and #52, they had all of the associated support, such as a club, mess hall, pose exchange, medical facility, etc.
 
        There was also an airfield that accommodated fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The fixed wing were used to fly "over flights" for convoys moving along the MSR's, and to provide "spotting" services looking for enemy movement or allied rescue. The rotary provided combat support, transport, etc.
 
        There was a Navy "Sea-Bee" (Construction Battalion) unit with it's own compound; Also located in the area were various elements of the 18th ARVN Infantry Division, a unit of Quan Canh's (Vietnamese Army Military Police), and a unit of Canh Sat's (Vietnamese National Police). Also located in a small compound, was an element of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, to include an MP detachment that worked with the C Company MP’s.
 
        The detachment MPs converted a former mess hall into living quarters and a Provost Marshal Office (PMO).
 

        The living quarters and PMO were actually a giant bunker, with sand bags on the side, a reinforced ceiling with PSP and more sand bags on the top.

       On occasion the compound would take "incoming enemy fire" but the PMO was never hit.

        Later during the year, a weather unit also moved into the compound. Their mission was to determine and track the weather in the area, and to assist the artillery.
 
        At some point in time, the exact date unknown, the II Field Forces Unit moved out and the Wolf Hounds of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division moved in. They were there fresh from the Cambodian operations and the base was being utilized to rotate the units.
25th
 
        During their stay they kept the detachment MPs busy with all the things that the combat troops get into when not in the field. However there were bright moments when they returned from the field and had R&R functions for a period of time that included beer, steak, and music. Sometime later they left, and the compound was given to the South Vietnamese Army. That left only the C Company detachment and the weather unit.
 
September SFC Baker’s tour ended and he was replaced by SSG William Statts.
 
        A special thanks to, SSG Tracy E. Usry (CW4 Retired), C Company, 720th MP Battalion, Crime Suppression Team Logistics, 8th MP Group CI, January 1970 to March 1972, for his assistance in providing the information for the 1970 Time Line.
 

24 December The 720th MP Battalion Civic Action Council and Xuan Loc Detachment members presented a Christmas party to the children of the Bethlehem 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.
1971     Major realignment of A & C Company duties
 
18 May The 720th MP Battalion realigned the combat support and combat service support missions within Military Region III (III Corps) 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 Xuan Loc Detachment.
 
4 July As part of a crackdown on black marketing activities in their area of operations, the Battalion position one MP at the entrance and exit to the post exchange facilities at Xuan Loc to insure that only authorized personnel used the exchange and that customers did not abuse their rations privileges.
 
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.
 
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