~ 720th Military Police Battalion Vietnam History Project ~
July 1969 ~ Battalion Timeline
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Last Updated
16 November 2017

At the start of the month Battalion HQ Detachment, its organic letter companies and the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) were headquartered subordinate to the 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, III Corps Tactical Zone, Bien Hoa Provence, Long Binh Post,  South Vietnam.
18th MP
Brigade
89th MP
Group
720th MP
Battalion
July

Exact Date Unknown, TAOR. River Patrol  SP/4 James W. Long, PFC Marion H. Roberson from the B Company River Patrol Unit were in their Boston Whaler on a stream near the Dong Nai River when they were informed that a small sampan was traveling north on the main river to deliver supplies to a local Viet Cong unit in the Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility.

     They entered the river and observed a man and a young boy in a sampan who appeared to be fishing. As they approached the two became very nervous and appeared to be trying to hide rather than fish.

     The patrols Quan Canh interpreter questioned the two and after initially giving a false story, they admitted that there was another sampan returning that was also a supply runner for the Viet Cong.

     To await the return of the second sampan the patrol waited off to the side of a nearby stream pretending to be working on a mechanical problem with their motor. Within ten minutes the second sampan with a lone occupant came down river past their location and was taken into custody.

     No supplies were found, however since he was returning south, it was believed he had already made the drop. Both sampans were seized and the three suspects were taken in for further questioning by Vietnamese authorities.

SP/4 Long
PFC Roberson
If you can date this incident or provide a photograph of PFC Roberson, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
1 July

     To better streamline personnel records, the DOD officially replaced the use of military serial numbers with Social Security account numbers. The process had actually begun over a year earlier.

8 July

     CPT Harold "Hal" D. Lockhart transferred command of B Company to CPT Bennet S. “Ben” Jones. CPT Lockhart was rotated up to Battalion S4 as their new logistics officer, where his command experience with the counterinsurgency infantry mission material needs of B Company would greatly benefit all. 

If you can provide a photograph of the change of command ceremony, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
CPT Lockhart
CPT Jones
12 July

TAOR  The continued threat of large scale enemy activity within the TAOR resulted in the 720th receiving operational control of B Company, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, from 12 July to 16 July .
199th LI
Brigade
17 July
Quan Loi Convoy Ambushed

     The Quan Loi Convoy of the 1st Infantry Division escorted by C Company was ambushed by an enemy force of unknown size resulting in 5 U.S. personnel being wounded in action, 6 VC/NVA killed in action, 1 wounded in action, and 1 captured. U.S. equipment losses were 2 tank trucks, 1 Bob-tail truck, 2 low boy trucks, and 1 Armored Personnel Carrier destroyed.

"I was in a trailing convoy and recall the stop by our unit was at the Fire Support Base (FSB) just before entering the long stretch of road where most ambushes happened.  The jets brought very large bombs in and the trees were flying.  The FSB shot off several rounds and kept busy that day.
 
1st
Infantry

     I recall the chatter on the radio and hearing towards the end of that battle, a soldier asking if he should try to take prisoners, and then they announced they had to shoot him. We continued on after the battle and passed the burned out vehicles, and the Armored Personnel Carrier.
 
     Not sure all of the names of all the MP's assigned that day, seems like SGT Brooks was my NCOIC.  I was the M-60 machine gunner on the jeep that day." SP/4 Mark H. Sowers, C Company, 720th MP Battalion, November 1968 to November 1969.
 

     "My platoon reacted to the attack and collected the wounded and survivors and drove off the NVA. Our part of the fight lasted about three hours with a body count of 13 and one prisoner. I was the only casualty – minor shrapnel from an RPG. In the account on the web site, there is reference to a radio conversation about taking shooting someone we were attempting to capture.

     I believe this refers to an incident where we had 5 or 6 NVA stand up about 50 to 75 meters from our advancing ACAV's. One suddenly turned and tried to run for the tree line. Someone on the ACAV immediately to my left fired an M79 and hit the fleeing soldier in the head with the grenade.
 
11th Armored
Cavalry
     We dismounted and chase the others for about 100 meters into the trees. At that point we came under fire, withdrew and called in a heavy fire team to put rockets and minigun on the area" ...continued account of the 4th Platoon "Red Devils"
20 July
     Apollo 11's Lunar lander made it's descent to the surface of the Moon. A few hours later, hundreds of millions of people around the world, including troops in Vietnam, watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon.

     The members of the A Company Bearcat Detachment were put to the task having to provide security for the Commanding General of Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), General Craighton W. Abrams, who arrived at the Bearcat base camp and personally presented awards, mostly Purple Heart medals, to allied troops stationed at the base. Most of the awards were presented to members of the Royal Thailand Army Volunteer Forces headquartered at the base camp.
25 July

     Under Battalion Headquarters Special Orders 183, the following personnel were appointed by Battalion Adjutant CPT Carl F. Hopp, to the Battalion Sundry Fund Council: 1LT L. Q. Farris, Jr. HQ Detachment, as President; CSM Burton E. Morrow, HQ Detachment, as Vice President; SSG Robert L. Littleton, III, HQ Detachment, as a member; 1SG Odis W. King, A Company, as a member; 1SG William W. Warnick, B Company, as a member; 1SG Norberto M. Hernandez, C Company, as a member; 1SG Dalton T. Nedd, 212th MP Company, as a member. The orders were issued and signed by WO1 Melvin Halfton, Assistant Adjutant, HQ Detachment.

1LT Farris
CSM Morrow
SSG Littleton
1SG King
1SG Warnick
1SG Hernandez
1SG Nedd
CPT Hopp
WO1 Halfton
If you can provide any missing photographs, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
29 July

TAOR  The continued threat of large scale enemy activity within the TAOR resulted in the 720th receiving operational control of B Company, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, from 29 to 31 July.
199th LI
Brigade
30 July

Saigon President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon visited South Vietnam during a tour of South East Asia. They were greeted upon their arrival in Saigon by South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu and Madam Thieu. Arrival Speech

     During the meeting between the two presidents, First Lady Pat Nixon and Madam Thieu visited an orphanage in Saigon. In addition to the standard civil presidential security of both counties, the 720th MP Battalion was tasked with supporting the 716th MP Battalion in providing additional security for the visit. The Battalion provided two Armored Personnel Carriers (APC’s) and crews to the security detail.

     At 3:06 PM after their meeting President Nixon gave the following address at the Independence Palace in Saigon.
President Nixon
President Thieu
Di An Before leaving Saigon and continuing on his tour of South East Asia, President Nixon stopped at Di An 13 miles north of Saigon and addressed the troops of the Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division base camp.
Continue To August 1969 Timeline Page