12 September 1968 ~ Thursday ~ Day 704
~~~~~ 720th MP Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~~~~~

0100 hours: Journal Opened by SGT Foster.

0614 hours, Alert Status Blackhorse Detachment: SP/4 Glenn B. Wegl, B Company [May 1968 to May 1969], notified this office that the alert status at Blackhorse base camp is green. The road conditions from Blackhorse to Xuan Loc are red and the roadway is not cleared at this time.

0624 hours, Tay Ninh Convoy: The Tay Ninh Convoy departed Long Binh Post at 6:24AM with 59 Vehicles. SGT Shelton, 89th MP Group notified.

0855 hours, Xuan Loc Convoy: The Xuan Loc Convoy departed Long Binh Post at 8:55AM with 22 vehicles. SGT Shelton, 89th MP Group notified.

0945 hours, Reaction Force: CPT Michael E. Lenhart, [A Company & HHD 95th MP Bn. Sep 1967 to Sep 1968], Operations Officer, 95th MP Battalion requested a 50 man reaction force with 1 officer be sent to the Long Binh Post stockade at 1800 hours (6:00PM), this date. A,B,C Companies notified.

1030 hours, Tay Ninh Convoy Ambush II Field Forces Tactical Operations Command notified this office that at 1030 hours (10:00AM), that the north bound Tay Ninh resupply convoy was ambushed at Grid Coordinates [map location], XT317351. The convoy received small arms and automatic weapons and mortar fire from an unknown size Viet Cong force.

Results: 2 trucks damaged to include one 5 ton tanker. Minor damage to one aircraft. Minor damage to one Armored Personnel Carrier. At 1100 hours (11:00AM), the following units were airlifted into the contact area: B, 2/27, B 3/187th, D 2/506th Infantry. Contact was lost at 1210 hours (12:10PM). Casualties as follows: 1 confirmed US KIA, 5 confirmed US WIA, 14 confirmed VC KIA, organic weapons fire was returned by the convoy personnel.

1130 hours, Xuan Loc Detachment: PFC Stevenson, B Company, Xuan Loc Detachment notified this office that SP/4 Ingram, C Company, 169th Engineer Battalion, operating a 10 ton dragon wagon and in convoy, was involved in a traffic accident with a Vietnamese civilian Lambretta at Hoang Dieu St. in Xuan Loc. Minor damages to the Lambretta, minor injuries to the Vietnamese female occupant, Lr Thi Dat.

Action: Serious Incident Report initiated, CPL Lyttle, 89th MP Group nortified, Xuan Loc Detachment investigated the accident.

1210 hours, POW Transfer: SP/4 Robertson notified this office that 4 POW’s were transferred from the 50th Medical Company to III Corps POW Cage without incident. SP/4 Gilmore, 89th MP Group and SP/4 Cummings, IIFF Notified.

1310 hours, POW Admission: SGT Esteban Mendoza, C Company, NCOIC POW Guards, notified this office that POW Do Van Dam registration #3068 was admitted at 1245 hours (12:45AM) this date. SP/4 Gilmore, 89th MP Group and SP/4 Cummings, IIFF Notified.

1530 hours, Tay Ninh Convoy: 25th Infantry Division, Provost Marshals Office, informed this office that both elements of Tay Ninh Convoy would be staying in Tay Ninh tonight due to the enemy activity in the area. SGT Shelton, 89th MP Group notified.

1645 hours, POW Status: SGT Esteban Mendoza, C Company, NCOIC POW Hospital Guards, notified this office that POW Ho Van Tieng, registration #3070 and Pham Van Dau #3071 were admitted to the 50th Medical Company at 1330 hours, (1:30PM) this date. POW count changed to 187.

1655 hours, POW Count: The POW count was sent to the 89th MP Group with the following information: 24 Evacuation Hospital, 2 POW’s, 2 MP guards; 50th Medical Company, 187 POW’s and 18 MP guards.

1800 hours, Stockade Detail: 50 enlisted men and 1 officer were dispatched to the Long Binh Stockade as a reaction force.

1805 hours, POW Status: SGT Esteban Mendoza, C Company, NCOIC POW Hospital Guards, notified this office that POW Ho Van Tieng, registration #3070 had expired from his wounds at 1700 hours (5:00PM). Cause of death was cardio pulmonary failure, pronounced dead by Dr. Cancel. SGT Shelton, 89th MP Group notified. POW count changed to 186.

1810 hours, Xuan Loc Convoy: The Xuan Loc Convoy arrived at Long Binh Post at 1800 hours (6:00PM) with 26 vehicles. CPL Lyttle 89th MP Group notified.

1855 hours, Artillery Clearance: 9th Infantry Division artillery given clearance on Bear Cat Counter Mortars. DSNA given counter mortar cancellations, J-35B 205, 206, 207, 208; J-36B 211, 212, 215, 216; J-37B 218, 221; DNSA also given Harassment and Interdiction times and targets and friendly positions. DNSA notified.

1922 hours, POW Status: SGT Cooper, C Company, NCOIC POW Hospital Guards, reported that Tran Van Y, registration #3072 was admitted to the 50th Medical Company at 1900 hours (7:00PM). POW count changed to 187.

2031 hours, River Patrol: B Company PBR apprehended four Vietnamese personnel on the sand ridge at. Grid Coordinates (map location), YT012072, approximately 1,000 meters north of Cogido. One had no national identification card, suspect taken to 720th MP Battalion S-2 (Intelligence) for interrogation. CPL Lyttle, 89th MP Group notified.

2013 hours, Enemy Activity: SGT Audrey D. Bolen, B Company [Dec 1967 to Dec 1968], Tactical Operations Center (TOC), notified this office that the 84 element Tactical Area of Responsibility (TAOR), spotted movement approximately 200 meters southwest of his location. Ambush Squad was notified and swept the area of suspected movement with negative results. 84 element, prior to sweep, reconned area by fire, negative results.

Information on the identification of the "84" element, use the Email Link at the top of this page.

2100 hours, POW Status: SGT Cooper, C Company, NCOIC POW Hospital Guards, reported that Vo Van Nhon, registration #3073 and Tran Van Ca, #3074, were admitted to the 50th Medical Company at 2015 hours (8:15PM). POW count changed to 189.

2400 hours, Journal Closed.