Two MP's Killed In Anbush Outside Tay Ninh Detachment
19 August 1967, Saturday

2105 hours At 9:05 PM, CPL Robert Earl Clowe, age 22, and SP/4 Wallace Michael Jackson, age 20, A Company, just left the Tay Ninh compound gate in a jeep when they were flagged down by three young female Vietnamese Nationals approximately 250 meters outside the gate.

When they stopped they were ambushed by Viet Cong elements hidden in hedge rows on both sides of the roadway.

The 720th received notification of the ambush and subsequent deaths of CPL Clowe and SP/4 Wallace from the Detachment OIC, LT Kelly, at 2315 hours (11:15 PM). LTC Francis E. Payne, Battalion CO, CPT Pritchard, SDO, COL LaPage, CO 89th MP Group, CPT Peter H. Sowle, Operations Officer, CPT Martin L. Mesick, CO, A Company, SFC Charles H. Brown, Battalion S-1, 1LT Gordon L. Locke and 1LT Nicholas F. Adams, A Company, and CPL Hefflinger, SDNCO, 89th MP Group, notified.

A casualty report was submitted by SFC Brown, Battalion Personnel NCO.

21 August 1967, Monday

0930 hours At 9:30 AM, MAJ Kenneth B. Stinson, 076669, USA WDMERT (J) APO 96307, Phone # MACV 3500/3658, arrived at this office to obtain pictures and materials of the jeep that received damage in Tay Ninh on 19 August 67, during the ambush of CPL Robert Earl Clowe and SP/4 Wallace Michael Jackson.

MAJ Stinson stated he was testing the materials to determine the types of weapons and distance of the the jeep from the ambush positions when it was fired upon. CPT Peter H. Sowle, Battalion Operations Officer informed, and 1LT Gordon L. Locke, A Company, assisted MAJ Stinson in obtaining the pictures and materials requested.

Note: According to information from SP/4 James Burandt, C Company, October 1966 to September 1967, who was present at the inspection. The inspection team was there to study the jeep window and it is believed they were interested in developing a ballistics proof window for military jeeps. Information and photographs have been obtained showing the ballistic glass was eventually used on the armored gun jeeps. If anyone can provide the name for the acronym "WDMERT," please notify the Project Manager.