B Company  The following personnel with military police MOS were assigned to B Company: PVT Thomas Dubrosky; PVT Ruben L. Betts; PVT Clifton D. Mayers; PVT Joe A. Gilliam; PFC Richard Donofrio; PVT Richard G. Beller; PVT Daniel B. Jones; PVT Steven E. Mavis; PVT Robert W. Maron; PFC Virgel J. Martin; PFC Ronald K. Mason; PVT Harry D. Marienau; SGT Angelo Torres.

B Company  1LT Rickey V. Wynkoop departed as B Company platoon leader.

B Company  1LT James P. Kalke was assigned as Platoon Leader in B Company.

Operation OVERTAKE, 0120 hours   an A Company Operation OVERTAKE Night V100 crewed by SGT Harris, SP/4’s Charles R. Smith and Nickolas Cramer was ambushed just past the Philco Ford motor pool near the Thu Duc intersection on Highway-1A. The RPG round impacted the roadway under it rendering it inoperable. No return fire was directed at the enemy due to the close proximity of civilian housing and lack of further enemy fire and viable targets.

Personal Reflection  “The rear gunner was SP/4 Nick Cramer, I was in the turret and SGT Harris was the driver. We were about to continue the double run...one convoy leaving Bien Hoa Airbase heading towards the Newport Docks, and one leaving the Newport Docks heading towards Bien Hoa Airbase. From 2330 hours to 0100 hours was the most vulnerable time, as only one convoy would travel.

     As our convoy rolled out at approximately 0100 hours our gun jeep was not with the convoy. I called back to the radio operator of the jeep and they said they were experiencing some unknown problems but were on the way. I informed then we would hang back until they caught up with the convoy. I heard the jeep engine roaring as it came up on out left side. Just as it passed us there was a large explosion that shook our V100. I looked down into the turret and the inside was all lit up. We lurched forward about 25 feet and stopped dead. Our radio communications were out and the engine gone. SGT Harris ordered us to say in the V100 in case of small arms fire. We trained our machine guns to the West and watched for flashes but none came. In about 5 minutes the 615th MP Company patrols, and I believe one of our escort jeeps from the convoy came back for us. The rocket propelled grenade was intended for the gun jeep, missed it, and bounced off the road into our engine. SP/4 Cramer and SGT Harris both were injured but I was not.” SP/4 Charles R. Smith, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1969 to November 1970.

Personal Reflection  “I was the net control operator for Overtake. I was supposed to be the IC (In Charge) of jeep #3 but the assigned radio operator was ill, so they put me on the radios. There were three radios in the radio room, one for the 2 Overtake convoys, one for the Philco Ford motor pool, and one for Ben Hoa artillery (aka Ben Hoa Arty).

     Sergeant Harris called in that they were hit by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) round. I believe it hit underneath the V-100 and knocked out the electrical systems. I don't recall much damage to the vehicle. SP/4 Jack (John) McKellog was the IC of Jeep #3 in that convoy. I am sure he had a bird's eye view of the ambush. I don't recall who else was assigned to that convoy escort. It was a time when we had a lot of replacements.

     Our radio room was located in the Provost Marshal Office at Long Binh Post.” “I do recall that an MP officer from the 615th tried to call in a fire mission into Ben Hoa Arty that would have landed on our convoy. I am pretty sure it was at the Thu Duc intersection. I don't recall the name of our Duty Sergeant that night but he and I called the mission off because the rounds would have landed on or near our guys. There was only one RPG fired and no small arms fire.” SP/4 George L. Lahargoue, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1968 to January 1970.

B Company  1LT James P. Kalke Platoon Leader in B Company departed.

HQ Detachment  CW2 Carl M. Reel of HQ Detachment was assigned as the Battalion Automotive Maintenance Technician.

HQ Detachment  CW2 Carl M. Reel of HQ Detachment was assigned as the Battalion Automotive Maintenance Technician.

     The 8th MP Group (Criminal Investigation), situated on Long Binh Post, was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters Company, 8th MP Group (CI).

B Company   2LT Scott D. Haskins was assigned as platoon leader of B Company.

Operation OVERTAKE, 2300 hours  A Company gun jeeps conducting an Operation OVERTAKE “Darkness” escort was ambushed by an enemy force of unknown size. The enemy fired small arms, automatic weapons and Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) B-40 rounds resulting in the wounding of one MP, and minor damage to one gun jeep and its M-60 machine gun. One civilian contract vehicle was also struck by an RPG, and its Vietnamese driver was wounded. Return fire was directed at the enemy positions with unknown results.

Personal Reflection  “This was a return run from the Newport Docks to Bien Hoa. The Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) went through the passenger window of the civilian truck and blew off one of the drivers legs. The MP’s in the gun jeep were, Ronald D. Tyler who I believe a SP/4 at the time, PFC Thomas Ramlet was on the M-60 Machine gun, but I do not remember the third MP. Thomas Ramlet was wounded in the action. Ronald Tyler ran to the truck and pulled out the driver while taking fire.

     Our escort unit was notified of the ambush while we were eating at Bien Hoa. We were told to go to the scene of the action but before we could arrive we were called off. I believe the 615th MP Company patrols made it there to assist. I also believe Tyler later received an award for his actions.” SP/4 Charles R. Smith, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1969 to November 1970.

Personal Reflection  “There was another ambush after that one where SGT William D. Wells, Tyler and Ramlet were hit again. Wells got glass shattered in his eye's while sitting in the drivers seat of the gun jeep, Tyler was driving, and he was knocked unconscious, Ramlet was on the M-60 and thought both had been killed, and just opened fire around him until Tyler came to and Wells managed to clear his vision. Their gun jeep was hit by a rocket propelled grenade and small arms. I know this because Ramlet talked to me afterwards and explained. He was getting a little concerned because of the number of incidents he was involved with, and some of the guys were a little weary of riding with him. Ron Tyler disappeared from the unit ?...never heard about him again” SP/4 Charles R. Smith, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1969 to November 1970.

22nd PMO Detachment   MAJ John R. Taylor departed as Battalion S3, and is believed to have been assigned to the 22nd Provost Marshal Detachment (92nd MP Battalion) as Provost Marshal Military Region IV (Mekong Delta Region).

TAOR  SP/4 David Allan Johnson, age 24, PFC David Lee Hemke, age 20, and PFC Robert Lamar McArthur, age 20 of B Company, members of an Ambush and Recon Team, drowned in the Dong Nai River when the River Patrol Boat they were being transported in was swamped during a night operation at the junction of the Rach Bien and Dong Nai Rivers in the Tactical Area of Responsibility.

Wanted: Better photographs of Johnson, Hemke, McArthur and statements of other witnesses that were present during the incident and recovery operations.

18th MP Brigade  During the preceding three months in compliance with a USARV order issued in 4 Match 1969, the 18th MP Brigade initiated a program to provide all units commanders and provost marshal’s with an immediately responsive means for transmitting sensitive or classified information by FM radio. The Tactical Secure Voice (TSV) crypto devises (TSEC/KY 8’s and TSEC/KY 38’s) were being issued throughout to secure all radio voice transmissions that could be of intelligence value to the enemy. The program was also being expanded, by priority, to all tactical operation centers, military police station and sub station networks.