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Return To 1970 Index

Last Updated 1 December 2014

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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 Province, Long Binh Post, South Vietnam. Battalion strength at the start of the month was, 24 Officers, 2 Warrant Officers, and 938 Enlisted Personnel

18th MP Brigade

89th MP Group

720th MP Battalion

Exact Date Unknown  The Battalion acquired a contingency commitment to provide escort and security for repatriated U.S. Prisoners of War.  Note: There was no mention in the record of the circumstances surrounding the origin of the mission, or that the contingency-plan ever became operational.

SSG Poplos

     The Battalion’s area of responsibility was increased to 65,000 square miles when the 188th Military Police Company and the 22nd. Provost Marshals Detachment were attached subordinate to the Battalion after their parent unit the 92nd MP Battalion was deactivated in Saigon.

     The 146th MP Platoon was reassigned from the 504th MP Battalion, 16th MP Group, II CTZ to the 89th MP Group, 720th MP Battalion for administrative and logistical support, with assignment in Vung Tau.

     The expansion was implemented under 18th MP Brigade OPLAN (Operations Plan) 2-69 “Switch,” and 89th MP Group OPLAN 2-70 “Draw Down II.” With the addition, the 720th’s strength was augmented by over 500 personnel from the three newly assigned units.

     With the expansion of responsibilities by 30 April the Battalion had detachments located in 16 separate areas of operation and new provost marshal responsibilities in: Xuan Loc; Phu Loi; Lai Khe; Cu Chi; Vung Tau; III Corps Tactical Zone (CTZ), and in Vinh Long; Can Tho; Tan An; My Tho; Dong Tam; and Soc Trang; IV CTZ.

     Combined police patrol operations were expanded and enhanced when the battalion, in cooperation with III CTZ, Vietnamese National and Military Police, increased the number of operating patrols in conjunction with the concept of Intensified Vietnamization operations. New Quan Cahn (QC), Vietnamese Military Police detachments were established at Phu Loi and Cu Chi (III CTZ), and additional material resources were added at several other existing locations.

     Concurrently with these new responsibilities throughout III and IV CTZ (Mekong Delta Region), Operation “Overtake” and “Darkness” began the transfer of responsibilities from Battalion's A Company to the 557th and 300th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post).

Operation OVERTAKE  PFC Joseph Robert Hardee age 23, of Los Angeles, CA was a gun jeep IC assigned to the Bien Hoa-Newport escort as part of an A Company “Operation OVERTAKE Darkness” escort. In the dark of the night a Vietnamese national who was driving one of the supply trucks managed to sneak it out of the convoy onto a back road where it was unloaded by Black Marketers.

     When the truck, with its headlights off, pulled out onto the main highway to rejoin the convoy it was struck by the MP gun jeep. PFC Hardee, the passenger, died from his injuries, the M-60 machine gunner PFC Charles Whyte, and the driver SP/4 David M. Erwin, were both severely injured but recovered.

     "Joe and I became close friends, in the very short time that we had served together before his untimely passing. I was on duty the night of the accident, and although I was in a different convoy, I heard the call come over the radio on my gun jeep. My heart dropped when I heard his name come over the radio.

     The next day we were told that Joe did not survive his injuries. A group of us put together a small memorial in our barracks that night consisting of his steel pot (helmet), nametag and other personal items. I have, thought about Joe, many times, over, the last 37 years, and I just want everyone to know what a great guy he was, and that it was a great loss to me personally as well as many other friends who were proud to serve along side of him." SP/4 Thomas L. Ramlet, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 1969-1971.

PFC Hardee

SP/4 Erwin

PFC Whyte

SP/4 Clegg

SP/4 Ramlet

SP/4 Smith

     MG Gustafson arrived at Long Binh on 10 February and began his six-day trip touring military police units from the DMZ to the Delta. It was his second visit to Vietnam since becoming the PMG. The visit began with briefings at the 18th MP Brigade, Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) and United States Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV) headquarters.

      The tour began up north at Qui Nhon, 93rd MP Battalion, Phu Bai, 504th MP Battalion, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh Bay, 16th MP Group. During the return trip south the PMG stopped at Can Tho, 188th MP Company, Saigon, 716th MP Battalion and 8th MP Group (CI), Long Binh, 95th MP Battalion and 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion and 212th MP Company.

      On 16 February the General addressed a group of military police officers, senior noncommissioned officers and MP's on the mission of the military police in Vietnam, and throughout the Army. The formal address ended his visit. 

< Photo G1429: MG Gustafson (left) and COL Wallace K. Wittwer, commanding officer of the 18th MP Brigade. Courtesy of The Roundup.

     As an end to MG Gustafson’s six-day tour of the 18th MP Brigade units in South Vietnam that began 10 February, he told the officers and senior noncommissioned officers and military policemen throughout Vietnam:

     “The average military policeman graduating from Fort Gordon’s basic MP course has 14 &1/2 years of schooling--that’s two and a half years of college,” he said. “That’s the best the Military Police Corps has ever seen. And we have to motivate and challenge these men,” the major general continued, “because they’re sharp.” “Give them a chance to try out their ideas, “ he admonished, “Don’t have them always do it just your way.”

     The Provost Marshal General also mentioned, “Some of the time the attitude is don’t rock the boat.” “I want new ideas that show how to do the job better.”

     On another topic he added that the MP’s are now a combat support unit. “We’re up with the combat arms, and division commanders are saying, “Give me more MP’s!” “I’m proud of you, “ he concluded, “and I’m proud of the job you are doing.”

25th Infantry

"The only incident that I recall after all these years was one involving an Army Of The Republic Of South Vietnam (ARVN) 2LT and three ARVN Duece-and-a-half trucks carrying nothing.

      That morning we just formed up the convoy and were outside the main gate of Cu Chi getting ready to leave when a tanker truck from some other unit/convoy hit a land mine that was hidden in the road. It didn't do much damage to the vehicle and the driver was not hurt but it held up our convoy for quite a few minutes.

     While they were clearing the road I received a radio message from the trail party gun jeep that an ARVN 2LT was giving them a hard time about not being allowed to go around the convoy and the situation was getting pretty tense. I told the MP to let the Lieutenant come up to the head of the convoy in his jeep to my location but not to let his trucks pass the march-units.

     When he got to my location he was hopping mad and ranting and raving. I tried to explain to him that permitting his vehicles to pass the convoy would endanger all of us, not only from oncoming traffic but an ambush that might be laying in wait for us. I invited him to join in the rear of the convoy and we would furnish him security for a far as he was going. He then informed me that he was a 2LT and I was just a SSG that he outranked me and I had to take his orders. He also told me that I was a guest in his country and to act accordingly. That last comment was all I could take, so in no uncertain terms I told him that if it wasn't for me and thousands of other "guests" in country just like me he wouldn't have a damned country, and as far as rank was concerned his being an officer didn't mean shit to me, I was in charge of the convoy security and what I said goes. I also invited him to make a formal complaint to anybody he liked, in fact, if he wanted I would take his young ass onto the Cu Chi compound and he could complain to the 25th Division Commanding General.

     About that time we got the okay to start moving the convoy so I told him get back to his vehicle and stay behind the convoy, and if he tried to pass and endanger my people, I would instruct my escorts to blow the tires out on his vehicles. He was madder than hell and kept threatening me with a court martial and at that time I wasn't sure what he was going to do. He returned to his trucks at the rear of the convoy. I was informed by the rear escort vehicle that he stayed behind the convoy for some distance, and then turned off on some other road.

     I put in my after action report what had happened and I never heard anything more about it."SSG (CW3 Ret.) Archie E. Moss, C Company, 720th MP Battalion, May 1969 to April 1970.

     “In reviewing this convoy, the funniest part of it all was that on one particular day during this movement, SGT Adam Garza, myself and SGT Johnnie, whose last name I can not remember, and others were operating gun jeeps for the escort duty. With approximately 70-heavy tracked vehicles, it was one convoy where the MPs had no concern about being attacked!

     The convoy was conducted without incident until the need to cross the Dong Nai River Bridge. Since total vehicle weight and sympathetic movement were a concern, the vehicles could only cross one or two at a time depending on the type of track vehicle to cross.” SP/4 Tracy E. Usury (CW4 Ret.), C Company, 720th MP Battalion, January 1970 to March 1972.

CPT Le Vasseur

CPT Chisholm