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Battalion History 1962
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association History Project ~
This Page Last Updated 12 April 2008

If you were a veteran of the 720th MP Battalion or any of its subordinate units, and recognize any of the events listed on this page, or you are a surviving family member of a Battalion veteran from this era and would like to contribute Information, personal stories, documents, media articles or photographs, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided above for instructions or assistance. Your contributions are extremely important to the Battalion history and always welcomed.

In 1962 the 720th MP Battalion was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas subordinate to the 4th Army.

Exercise Swift Strike-II

WANTED: Information, photographs or personal stories relating to Exercise Swift Strike-II, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of the page.

Date unknown The entire Battalion deployed to Fort Jackson, South Carolina to support a multi divisional joint exercise called Swift Strike-II. The scope of the operation involved both North and South Carolina. The Battalion participation was limited to the South Carolina part of the exercise.

B Company guarded the Command Post of the 2nd Logistical Support Group, conducted Main Supply Route Security and Enforcement, Traffic Control Point Operations, Convoy Security Operations, and Enemy Prisoner of War screening operations of the opposition forces from the 101st Airborne Division. In addition, they conducted Law and Order Patrols in the town of Edgefield, Sumter and Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.

In Edgefield, South Carolina, the entire town and surrounding rural communities became emotionally involved in the exercise. It seemed that everyone chose sides between the friendly and opposition armies. There were times that the extent of local civilian assistance at the time of interaction with the troops depended on what side was requesting it.

Because they were MPs, the Edgefield City Police extended the courtesy to members of the battalion to shower upstairs in the police department building.

During one phase of the exercise, SP/4 Gordon S. Propes of B Company and his team members were captured by members of the opposing army. They were driven for miles out into the woods and dropped off individually and had to find their way back to their base.

The exercise was not without its tragedies, there were casualties and fatalities resulting from traffic accidents and the troop and vehicle air drops by the 82nd Airborne.

C Company redesignated as the 560th for deployment to Vietnam

12 July C Company 720th MP Battalion was inactivated and all personnel and equipment were assigned to the newly formed 560th MP Company for deployment to South Vietnam. Volunteers from A & B Company helped fill the ranks to bring the company up to TO&E strength.

Exact date unknown The 560th MP Company departed Fort Hood, Texas for South Vietnam.

Civil unrest at Mississippi University, Oxford Mississippi

30 September through 31 December The 720th MP Battalion was one of three regular army Military Police Battalion's ordered to deploy to Oxford, Mississippi in response to President Kennedy’s call to federalize the U. S. Military to assist in ending the civil unrest. The other two were the 503rd MP Battalion (Fort Bragg, North Carolina) and 716th MP Battalion (Fort Dix, New Jersey).

The 720th was transported via aircraft to Memphis, Temmessee and briefed before being transported into Mississippi by helicopter. Battalion assets were convoyed from Fort Hood to Mississippi, the trip took one and a half days. They never stopped for the night, just pulled to the shoulder of the highway and set up to provide meals before moving on. The convoy formed just outside the Mississippi state line to receive their assignments before convoying into the city of Oxford.

When the Battalion arrived in Oxford they constructed their compound in a ravine on a practice field just below the football field on the campus of Mississippi University. They spent two days at the ravine field before moving their compound up to the football field. The compound, nicknamed "Camp Paradise," consisted of tents and vehicles enclosed by a concertina wire perimeter, adjacent to the rail road tracks that ran into Oxford.

It took approximately three days for all the responding federal troops to finally arrive and once that happened the protests stopped and the mobs disappeared. The troops out numbered the local populace 3 to 1, and turned the small university town into a temporary army camp.

The initial duties were manning road blocks to remove firearms and other weapons to quell the violence of the initial riot. Later they were assigned to walking patrols around the campus grounds during the day and evening hours. They had four MP teams assigned to motorized town patrols, in jeeps, armed with. 45's and billy clubs. During the operation they had no interaction with the small city police department. They would also be assigned to guarding the military transport aircraft at the Naval airfield.guard duty around Baxter Hall where Mr. Meredith resided. It was located in the back part of the campus. The building was two stories tall with a basement, his room was on second floor. The US Marshals vacated one half of the building for him, and restricted access to his half. Whenever the MPs had to escort Mr. Meredith the escort detail was a major show of force. At the time it seemed to be overkill, but since there were never any incidents, it worked.

Within weeks the routine duty became boring and repetitive. There was also the lack of pay due to the constant movements. Before the deployment the MPs were instructed not to take civilian clothing with them, not everyone listened. As time passed they broke out their civilian clothing, sneaking into Oxford via the rail road tracks under cover of night. Some of them dated the local college girls who knew they were military but asked them not to let the local boys know they were. The only problem they had in passing for locals was the the black Class A shoes they wore, however, no one seemed to notice. The local townsfolk's were subtle about it but made it known that they were not welcomed. On occasion they would be assigned to pick up ice for the compound. The business people would take their trade but wouldn’t speak with them.

Elements of the 720th MP Battalion would conduct three rotations of duty at Oxford through 1963 before the deployments were finally ended. Edited from period news reports, unit histories, books, and interviews of PFC Gordon F. Propes, C & B Company, and SP/4 Ralph C. Lewis, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 4th Army. Fort Hood, Texas, 1962-1963.

The Oxford Deployments... Then and Now SP/4 Ralph C. Lewis, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 4th Army. Fort Hood, Texas, 1961-1963.

WANTED: Information, photographs, official documents, and personal stories relating to the Oxford deployments, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of the page.

26 November, Change of Command LTC Robert Hotaling passed command of the battalion to LTC Earl B. Milburn.

31 December, Oxford, Mississippi At the end of the year elements of the Battalion were still deployed at the campus of Mississippi University, Oxford, Mississippi.

At the end of 1962 all elements of the 720th Military Police Battalion were on deployment in Mississippi.