720th
1967 ~ HQ Detachment Time Line
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
This Page Last Updated 9 October 2008
18th Bde.
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        Early in 1967 General William Westmoreland (theatre commander) began a campaign to reduce materially the U.S. troop presence in major cities-especially Saigon. Under the direction of the MACV J-4, a program with the code name MOOSE (move out of Saigon expeditiously) was established.
USARV

        Shortly thereafter the 18th Military Police Brigade delegated to the Battalion the responsibility of securing a 22 square mile Tactical Area Of Responsibility (TAOR) bordering the southern perimeter of Long Binh Post.

        The two principal reasons for the assignment, Operation CORRAL followed by STABILIZE (see September), was to provide a security zone for the southern perimeter of Long Binh Post and the approach to Bien Hoa.
5 January During the period of 5 January to 26 January 1967, the 720th MP Battalion provided one platoon of 20, B Company MP’s to support Operation Cedar Falls. The platoon was committed to the operational control of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
173rd
 
20 February During the period of 20 February to 23 April 1967, the 720th MP Battalion committed personnel from A, B and C Companies, 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. The operation was the largest search & destroy, and only major airborne operation of the Vietnam War.
18 March SP/4 Fred D. Clark was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service from July 1967 to March 1968 under 18th MP Brigade General Orders #214.
 
23 April One Officer and 23 Enlisted Men from B Company were committed in direct support of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (11th ACR), and 1 Officer and 37 Enlisted Men (believed to be A Company) in direct support of the 1st Infantry Division (1st ID) in support of Operation MANHATTAN. The Area of Operations was within the Michelin Rubber Plantation, near Dau Tieng, III Corps Tactical Zone. The 720th MPs were utilized in traffic control, village cordon and search, Prisoner Of War (POW), security, convoy escort, and general discipline, law, and order duties.
9 June C Company was assigned to assist elements of the 1st Infantry Division, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, and Vietnamese Marines in support of combat operations during Operation BILLINGS in Binh Duong, Phuoc Long and Long Kahn Provinces.
1 July LTC Kenneth Weinstine, the second commanding officer of the battalion in Vietnam, passes command of the 720th MP Battalion to LTC Francis E. "Frank" Payne.
8 July The 720th Military Police Battalion became the first U.S. MP Battalion to utilize the new V100 Commando Car in Vietnam in Operation PADDINGTON.
15 July The United States Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV) Headquarters announced its intended move from Saigon to Long Binh Post.
The Battalion is assigned a historic first, Operation STABILIZE

        What gave this assignment its historical significance to the United States Army and the Military Police Corps was it became the first time in the history of the United States Armed Forces that a Military Police Battalion was tasked with an infantry mission.
        To insure the success of the operation all three companies including the 615th MP Company that was attached to the battalion, joined with elements of the 2nd Battalion of the 39th Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, and the Vietnamese National Police Field Forces (NPFF), under the name Operation CORRAL.
9th

        The new Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility had previously been under the operational control of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. Operation STABILIZE and would last from 11 September 1967 through September 1970.

       Primary operations performed by the Battalion were, River Patrols, Ambush & Recon Patrols, Village Outpost Duty and Civic Action Programs.
199th
11 September A joint operation was undertaken and all the primary villages were thoroughly cordoned off and searched. Over fifty suspected Viet Cong and their known sympathizers were apprehended and turned over to combined MACV and ARVN Military Intelligence teams for interrogation. Enemy weapons, documents, and supplies were seized and confiscated without suffering any major casualties.
MACV

12 August MAJ Victor LeBlanc assumed the duties of Battalion Executive Officer.
7 September The following HQ Detachment personnel were promoted from Private First Class (PFC E-3) to Specialist Fourth Class (SP/4 E-4), under Special Orders #172: Alexander Bennett (MOS95B), Duane J. Carr (MOS36K), Fred D. Clark (MOS36K), Richard C. Davis (MOS36K), John E. Mathieu (MOS71C), and Thomas J. Publiski (MOS36K20).
8 September CPT Roger J. Gaydos assumed the duties as Battalion Adjutant.
18 September The Battalion provided personnel for convoy escort and security in support of the 9th Infantry Division for the transport of the 1,200 troops comprising the main body of the 1st Royal Thai Queens Regiment from the ports of Saigon to the Base Camp at Bearcat.  Operation CONDOR lasted through 21 September.
12 September B Company and the 5th ARVN Cavalry Regiment provided personnel for convoy escort and security in support of the engineer road and bridge improvement operation on Highway #20 near Dalat.  Operation RICHMOND lasted through 28 September.
23 September Elements of B Company, 720th MP Battalion consisting of one officer and 23 enlisted personnel were assigned to assist the 1st MP Company, 1st Infantry Division, with the convoy transport escort of the 101st Airborne Division from the Bien Hoa Airfield to the new division base camp located at Phouc Vinh where they replaced the 28th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. Operation QUICKSILVER lasted from 23 November to 21 December.

4 October CPT George A. Sunderland assumed duties as the Battalion S4 (Supply & Logistics).

5 October MAJ Fred J. Villella, Jr. assumed the duties as Battalion S3 (Operations Officer).
2 November 1LT Kenneth G. Orth, formely with B Company, assumed the duties as the 720th MP Battalion Intelligence and Security Officer (S-2).
15 November MAJ Fred J. Villella assumed the duties as the 720th MP Battalion Executive Officer.

21 December C Company provided one officer and 28 enlisted men during the 40 days they were in support of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment with convoy security escort and “Roadrunner” highway security patrols near An Loc and Loc Ninh during Operation FARGO.
22 December MAJ Gordon N. Moody assumed the duties as the 720th MP Battalion Executive Officer (XO) from MAJ Fred J. Villella.
23 December 2LT Carl Chase, Jr. assumed the duties as the 720th MP Battalion Logistics (supply) Officer (S-4).
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