Operation CEDAR FALLS
Iron Triangle ~ 5 January to 26 January 1967
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
This Page Last Updated ~ 9 October 2008

         During the period of 5 January to 26 January 1967, the 720th MP Battalion provided one Platoon of 20, B Company MPs to support Operation CEDAR FALLS. The platoon was committed to the operational control of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Missions included convoy escort, traffic control, refugee control, POW security, defile control, security of the 173rd Tactical Operation Command, and route reconnaissance. During the course of these missions, enemy action occurred and one MP was wounded by enemy small arms fire.

        The platoon from B Company began earning the 18th Brigade the the reputation as "the only combat tested MP Brigade," by living and working in the "boonies." The platoon spent 20 days in the field with the infantrymen. They set up their own camp and a refugee control point in Ben Cat. The MPs set up a perimeter, dug defensive positions, built bunkers, and put up their tents. They escorted supply convoys, provided security for medical and PSYOPS (Phychological Operations) teams, performed traffic control and bridge security. They also escorted convoys of captured enemy rice catches. The biggest responsibility was refugee control. Here they escorted the war refugees to the control point, fed and then transferred them to more secure villages. As a result they also assisted in the capture of seven Viet Cong suspects.
        Allied Forces involved were elements of the 1st Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, B Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 1st ARVN (Vietnamese Army) Airborne Brigade, 7th and 8th ARVN Regiments, and an ARVN Ranger Battalion.
        This was the first corps-sized American search and destroy operation of the war to prevent ex-filtration from the Thanh Dien Forestry Reserve and the Iron Triangle, denying the use of the Saigon River in the sector to Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Army forces. It took place in The Iron Triangle a 60 square mile area bounded by the Saigon and the Song Thi Thinh Rivers, and the Thanh Dien Forest.
1st ID
173rd AB
11th ACR
196th LIB
18th Bde.
720th
 
 
        Communist Forces involved were, 9th Viet Cong Division and the Viet Cong Military Region 4 Headquarters.
Viet Cong
 
6 January The 1st Division, under the guise of normal operations, deployed the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, which at the time was attached to the 25th Infantry Division. The 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22nd Infantry moved from Dau Tieng along the southern edge of the Boi Loi woods to an overnight position.
 
 
        At the same time the 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry with Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry attached, moved into the area north of the Trung Lap Ranger Training Center, to initially open a route and secure artillery support bases. The 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry and supporting artillery, consisting of the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Artillery, and A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 77th Artillery, was lifted into these bases.

        The 196th Light Infantry Brigade Command Post and elements of the 3rd Battalion, 13th Artillery and 2nd Battalion, 32nd Artillery moved by convoy to Trung Lap.
 
7 January The 1st Battalion, (Mechanized), 5th Infantry secured a Landing Zone for the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry. All elements less the fire support base security forces moved to blocking positions along the Saigon River at the same time the 2nd Brigade moved to blocking positions along the Saigon river north of the Filhol Plantation and Nha Viec. They deployed with Task Force 2nd Battalion , 34th Armor in the north, Task Force 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry in the south.

        During the nights a maximum amount of ambushes were placed along the river. During daylight minimum forces secured the river, allowing extensive search and destroy operations in the Viet Cong base areas.
 
        Control of traffic on the river was the responsibility of the 25th Infantry Division, while the 1st Infantry Division was responsible for the control at the junction of the Saigon-Thi Tinh Rivers.

        The 1st Infantry Division with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment blocked enemy escape routes across the Thi Than River, executed an air-mobile assault north of the Iron Triangle, and then executed search and destroy operations south through the area.
25th
 

Reflections Its been over 36 years since I worked Operation Cedar Falls so it’s tough to recall all the details of that assignment. There are a few incidents however that come to mind. I can’t remember the exact dates or locations and most of the names of the men that were present, but some of the details are still fresh.

11 January, 2100 Hours - Ambush On The Roadway On that day SGT Crook’s squad of four to five jeeps was assigned to escort elements of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (11th ACR) from Xuan Loc into the area. During the operation each of the gun jeeps also pulled trailers. The reason for the trailers was to have them available to scrounge supplies and any other materials needed for their bivouac area. It was getting dark around 2100 hours (9:00PM). The tracked vehicles they were escorting unexpectedly left the roadway on line to conduct a sweep into the jungle. The jeeps being the only wheeled vehicles couldn’t follow so they continued on in the direction of the B Company MP Platoon bivouac. Shortly after departing the armored elements the MP jeeps were ambushed and came under heavy enemy small arms fire, one B Company MP was seriously wounded by AK-47 fire. The MPs were pinned down and maintained counter fire on the enemy until the 11th ACR units returned to the roadway to assist them. Once the firing stopped the 11th ACR summoned a Dust-off to transport the wounded MP to a field hospital. SGT Crook and his MPs spent the remainder of the night with the armored unit until daylight when they were escorted back to the B Company bivouac. Several of the MP squads jeeps were damaged by small arms fire and had to be towed by the Armored Personnel Carriers (APC). SGT J.T. Cartee (1SG Retired), B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, September 1966 to September 1967.
 

Shielded Him With His Body SP/4 Gerald E. Reddaway of B Company, distinguished himself by valorous actions while serving as a member of a squad supporting the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment during Operation CEDAR FALLS. While returning to base camp, the six man squad was attacked by Viet Cong on a narrow path surrounded by dense jungle. With total disregard for his own safety, SP/4 Reddaway ran to the aid of a seriously wounded man and carried him to safety while receiving intense hostile fire. He skillfully applied first aid to his injured comrade and was preparing him for medical evacuation by helicopter when they were again subjected to intense fire. Using his body as a shield, SP/4 Reddaway carried the wounded man to a nearby jeep.

SP/4 Reddaway was later awarded the Army Commendation Medal for "Valor" for his actions.

 
WANTED: Names of the MPs assigned to the squad with SP/4 Reddaway, information, personal stories, photographs and the name of the wounded MP, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link above.
 
Exact Date Unknown - The Day The Bridge Fell There was a old one lane bridge over a small river or stream who’s name I can’t remember. The bridge was dilapidated so the enginner's built a temporary bridge along side it to move the operational traffic. All the vehicles using this roadway had to cross over it. The MPs who were assigned to the bridge and defile had to insure that due to weight restrictions, traffic was limited to one heavy vehicle at a time. The bridge master was a Lieutenant from the engineer unit and he was responsible for making the decision on the heavy vehicles. A VTR came down the roadway towing a disable Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). The VTR driver was instructed by the MPs to winch the APC across separately so the combined weight of both vehicles wouldn’t be on the span at the same time. The officer with the mechanized unit for some unknown reason ordered the VTR to cross with the APC in tow. The bridge master didn’t object even though he had operational jurisdiction. While they were crossing the span the heavy weight caused it to collapse into the water below. Fortunately the vehicle operators survived the fall. It took the engineers several days to clear out the vehicles and build a Baily Bridge in its place. And as usual, the MPs working the detail at the old bridge were blamed for its collapse. SGT J.T. Cartee (1SG Retired), B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, September 1966 to September 1967.
 
Exact Date Unknown - VC Transistor Radios It seemed that during the operation Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army radio traffic flooded our assigned radio net just proceeding enemy actions against the U.S. Forces. I can’t say if this was intended to tie up the U.S. radio net or if the enemy were using it to instruct their units prior to a battle. I did notice while working the POW detail that of the enemy prisoners of war that were captured, many had small new transistor radios in their possession. When I asked an intelligence unit officer about it he said they were given the radios to receive instructions from their headquarters. It was cheaper than heavy field radios, but you didn’t have the ability to talk back to the headquarters and acknowledge receipt of your orders. SGT J.T. Cartee (1SG Retired), B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, September 1966 to September 1967.
 
        Totals for the 18-day operations were 331 Viet Cong killed by actual body count, 39 Prisoners of War captured, 147 Hoi Chanh's (voluntary surrenders) rallied, and 147 detainees held for questioning, seven M-1 rifles, 10 Mauser rifles, six AK-47 assault rifles, 18 pistols, two shotguns, one pellet gun, three rocket launchers, two Browning Automaqtic Rifles (BAR), three rounds of rocket ammunition were captured, along with numerous miscellaneous explosives, bangalor torpedoes and grenades. The confiscated 21,385 tons of rice. Air support sorties numbered 409 and five B-52 bomb strikes were made during the operation.
 
 
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