18th Bde.
8 December 1966 ~ Thursday ~ Day 60
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
This Page Last Updated ~ 8 October 2008
720th
Return To Dec 1966 Index
Email Link
If you recognize any of the events listed on this page and would like to contribute Information, personal stories, documents, media articles or photographs pertaining to them, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided above. Your contributions are important and always welcomed.
 

PFC Charles "Chuck" De Wayne Damsgard, age 20, 1st Platoon, C Company, from St. Paul, Minnesota, became the 720th MP Battalion’s first casualty in Vietnam. PFC Damsgard was killed by small arms fire while performing night ambush duties outside the perimeter of the 3rd Ordnance Ammunition Supply Depot at Long Binh Post in Bien Hoa Province.
Damsgard
 
Operation DUCK - IOLA - CANARY
 
173rd
RAR
Operation DUCK - IOLA - CANARY The 720th MP Battalion supported elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and 5th & 6th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment, as they conducted highway security clearing operation on Highway-15 from Vung Tau to Bearcat and Long Binh Post.
9th ID
The clearing, initially started for the movement of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade during Operation CANARY (4 December) was now in support of elements of the 9th Infantry Divisions move from debarkation at the Port of Vung Tau up Highway-15 to their new base camp headquarters (3rd Brigade) at Bear Cat.
 
        In addition, convoys consisting of personnel, vehicles and equipment were also escorted from the Saigon ports to a new base camp at Dong Tam in the Mekong Delta, Corps Tactical Zone IV. Operation DUCK was renamed Operation IOLA on 20 January 1967.
 
15th
        The exact date the Battalion ended its support is at this time unknown. One other supporting element, the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion, 9th Infantry Division, continued its support until 31 May 1967.
 
       In the continuing support of Operation CANARY (started 4 December), escort elements of the 720th safely escorted one of two convoys containing personnel of the newly arrived 199th Light Infantry Brigade from the Port of Vung Tau to the new base camp at Long Binh Post without incident.
199th
 
        These missions consisted of the convoy escort of over 3,000 vehicles and 12,000 personnel through over eighty miles of enemy infiltrated roadways without major incidents or casualties.
 
Return To Top Of Page
Continue To 9 December 1967 Page