~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association Vietnam History Project ~
D Company 87th Infantry (Rifle Security)
18th Military Police Brigade, 89th MP Group
This Page Last Updated   9 March 2018

     D Company, 87th Infantry was assigned to the 18th MP Brigade and the 95th MP Battalion at Long Binh Post when it arrived in Vietnam on 1 December 1966. It served as a Rifle Security Company, with a Mortar Platoon that supported operations in the 720th MP Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility.

     In 1968 is was attached to C Company, 720th MP Battalion, and in 1969 when it was undergoing deactivation, the Mortar Platoon was reassigned to B Company where it continued in its support role.  For this reason the members of the 720th MP Battalion are proud to host this website for the company.

Regardless of MOS if you recognize or participated in any of the events listed on this Timeline page and would like to contribute any information, personal stories, documents, media articles, photographs, or, if you can provide information on any events not listed, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided for you on each page. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Battalion history and always welcomed here.
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    Send your photographs as .jpg via the Email Link at the top of this page. Scan them as large as you can, one to an Email and include as much information as you can. Direct any questions via the Email Link.
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18th MP Brigade
89th MP
Group
95th MP
Battalion
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1st Tour ~ 1 December 1966 through 8 November 1969
1966
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     With the massive buildup of U.S. troops to provide a security zone around Saigon in III Corps Tactical Zone, the 18th MP Brigade found itself in a staffing dilemma trying to provide enough MOS trained MPs to handle all the discipline, law and order, highway security, and convoy security missions they were tasked with by MACV and USARV.

    According to Brigade reports, to ease the burden, they requested and received 7 newly formed Infantry Rifle Security companies to take over many of the physical security duties tying down their MOS trained MPs through all four Corps Tactical Zones. The companies were assigned to operational control of the Brigade through its two MP Groups, the 16th responsible for Corps Tactical Zones I & II, the 89th responsible for Corps Tactical Zones II & IV, and thus they wore the Brigade patch.

1 December D Company, 87th Infantry (Rifle Security) arrived in Vietnam, and was assigned to the 95th MP Battalion on Long Binh Post.
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1967
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     D Company, 87th Infantry was one of two Infantry (Rifle Security) companies attached to the 95th MP Battalion on Long Binh Post throughout 1967. The second was D Company, 52nd Infantry.
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Meritorious Unit Commendation
Streamer Embroidered Vietnam 1 January- 31 December 1967
95th Military Police Battalion, and attached units to include - D Company, 87th Infantry
     Department of the Army General Order No. 54, 8 October 1968, Section II, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Paragraph 13, Page 8.

March The720th MP Battalion mission of physical security duties at the Cogido Docks and Barge Site on the Dong Nai River just outside the southwestern perimeter of Long Binh Post was reassigned by the 89th MP Group to the 95th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post).
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     In addition to the cargo security at the docks, they also provided physical security at the Deep Sea Dredge Barge site, and the pumping station for the Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant (POL) barges anchored on the eastern side of the Dong Nai River just south of the Highway-1A Bridge. Both the dredge and POL barge sites were physically located together, and the D Company staff that served as security were located in a small compound on the eastern river bank, where the above ground POL pipeline began that connected the pumping station to the POL depot on Long Binh Post. Both river operations were within the 720th Tactical Area of Responsibility.
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1968
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        720th MP Battalion Operations Report / Lessons Learned, February to March 1968, page 3 flow chart, shows D Company, 87th Infantry (Rifle Security) attached to the Battalions C Company. Although the records are not specific, from a review of the Battalion S3 Daily Logs, it appears that D Company remained subordinate to the 95th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post), while provided temporary staffing for various missions within the 720th
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        720th MP Battalion Daily Logs (S3) from 1968, and personal interviews of 720th staff show that members of D Company performed physical security duties at the Cogido Docks and Barge Site, the Dredge & POL barge offloading site, direct fire support from their Mortar Platoon on Long Binh Post, and temporary staffing when needed at the 720th combined Popular Forces and MP outpost's and the ambush and reconnaissance squads.
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1 February (Tet Offensive) The 720th MP Battalion Reaction Force was called to assist elements of D Company, 87th Infantry (Rifle Security), 95th MP Battalion, which were pinned down by enemy firing at the Cogido ammunition and fuel barge site west of Long Binh Post. The 720th escorted reinforcements from the 95th MP Battalion to the site. Upon arrival at the barge site they became the targets of heavy small arms fire and called for armored assistance. An armored personnel carrier from Battalion HQ arrived and assisted in the evacuation of one man wounded in the exchange of gunfire.
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Meritorious Unit Commendation
Streamer Embroidered Vietnam 9 February-9 December 1968
95th Military Police Battalion, and attached units.
     Department of the Army General Order No. 39, 20 July 1970, Section II, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Paragraph 44, Page 9.

8 September SSG Dallas R. Pridemore, dressed in civilian clothes, was visiting a female friend in the village of Kien Thiet Village, Thu Duc District of Gia Dinh Provence, and captured by a local VC force. A casualty investigation report alleged that he was last seen alive on 4 January 1969 in a VC POW camp in Cambodia. It was rumored that he was killed during a U.S. bombing raid. The North Vietnamese government has denied any knowledge of  his capture or confinement. He is officially listed as died in confinement, MIA, and no remains have ever been recovered.
Editors Notes: For the report on SSG Pridemore's capture and search, use the link on the company roster page.
11 September Personnel at the D Company POL Site, notified this office that at approximately 2135 hours they had received four rounds of small arms fire from approximately 100-150 meters Northwest of their position. The 720th MP Battalion B Company TOC was notified and a B Company Ambush Team made a sweep of the area with negative results.
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13 September Personnel at the D Company POL Site, notified 720th MP Battalion TOC that members of a 1st Infantry Division element on a dredge, located approximately 50 to 75 meters southwest of CP #9 on the Dong Nai River, fired two M-79 grenade rounds at a drifting empty sampan located at Grid Coordinates YT019039.

        B Company River Patrol units checked with personnel aboard the dredge and informed them to use caution when reconning by fire in the vicinity of the POL site. The sampan was not damaged. The Staff Duty Officer, LT Emanuel notified, River Patrol H/G #69 notified, B Company Tactical Operations Center notified, CPL Lyttle, 89th MP Group notified.

2033 hours At 2035 hours, Personnel at the POL Site, notified 720th MP Battalion TOC that they received 10 rounds of small arms fire from what they believe to be a sampan traveling north on the Dong Nai River from Checkpoint #9. The B Company, 720th MP Battalion PBR River Patrol was notified and checked the sampan finding it empty. They destroyed it at Grid Coordinates YT014045 with 6 rounds from their M-79 Grenade Launcher.

2110 hours At 2110 hours, Personnel at the POL Site, notified 720th MP Battalion TOC that they spotted movement outside their perimeter at Grid Coordinates YT019047. They reconned by fire with four M-79 rounds and twenty rounds of rifle fire at the movement with negative results

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14 September, 1030 Hours At 1030 hours,SGT Danny K. Ayres, RA14918985, D Company 87th Infantry (Rifle Security), 89th MP Group, was struck and killed by a 5 ton Kaiser truck  of the 321st Transportation Company.

     The truck was proceeding north exiting from the Cogido Barge Site. SGT Ayers was standing facing northeast approximately 5 feet west of the security guard gate. At this time the right front portion of the trailer struck Ayers from the back causing him to fall to the ground. As the vehicle proceeded past the gate the right rear wheels of the trailer ran over Ayres. Ayers was transported to the 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh Post, where he was pronounced dead at 1155 hours [11:55AM] from severe trauma by Dr. (CPT) John G. Downer. The vehicle did not receive any damage and was released to its unit. The driver was taken to Long Binh Post Provost Marshals Office and later released to his unit. No charges have been made pertaining to the accident.
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1 October, 1050 Hours B Company reported at 10:50 AM, that SGT Billy Joe Knasel, D Company, 87th Infantry, Mortar Platoon, 95th MP Battalion, received a serious neck strain, and a possible cerebral concussion when the bunker he was stationed at collapsed on him at the 720th MP Battalion B Company Outpost-2 just outside the Village of Long Hung. SGT Knasel was medivaced to the 24th Evacuation Hospital and treated by Dr. Barrett.
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November The D Company compound was located next to the 95th MP Battalion compound across the street from the Long Binh Post Stockade (LBJ). According to the 89th MP Group reports, D Company also staffed a detachment for perimeter tower security duty at the USARV Stockade.
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1969
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     As D Company was preparing for stand-down and transfer to Da Nang, members of the company Mortar Platoon were permanently reassigned for administrative and operational control to B Company, 720th MP Battalion.

     The duty station (two mortar pits) and billets for the platoon remained near Tanker Hill on Long Binh Post. They continued their direct fire support mission for the 720th Tactical Area Of Responsibility.
720th MP
Battalion
 If you have any photographs of the mortar pits, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
   It was not clear from the available records if D Company was deactivated or reassigned for their move to Da Nang.
1971
2nd Tour ~ 1 June 1971 through 30 April 1972

Personal Reflection  "The unit was previously named 1st Security Company and had the mission of guarding and protecting the major POL off load and storage facility and the major supply and ammunition off load and storage facility for I CORPS. The areas to be secured included Tan My Island and the LST off load ramp and transfer station on the main land at the base of the Perfume River. Duties included security of the bases, ship security (we placed troops on the LST's with concussion grenades to ward off sapper attacks), convoy security and during Operation Dewey Canyon II (Lamson 719) deployed a platoon to FSB Vandergrift to serve as a blocking force for protection of ARVN forces invading Laos.
USARV
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     The unit received its re-designation as D Company 87th Infantry (Rifle Security) and the unit was designated to wear the USARV patch. At this time some of the personnel were: Commanding Officer - Capt. Larry Kushner - Infantry from 101st ABN; XO - Andrew J. Kopac 1Lt. MPC - directly assigned from previous designation Platoon Leader; Thomas MacAndrews 1Lt MPC- directly assigned from previous designation; Platoon Leader - Hugh L. Blazer - 1Lt Infantry - from 101st ABN; SP/4 Michael Franson - company armorer and SGT Greg Cook - NCOIC north gate island operations.

     The units' composition consisted of directly assigned personnel as well as troops from the !st Infantry Division and 4th Infantry Division. Later on we started receiving troops from the 101st ABN Division. All unit operations deploying personnel and movement were coordinated through Phu Bai 101st. Dust off was Phu Bai Dust off." 1LT Andrew J. Kopac, XO, D Company, 87th Infantry (Rifle Security), USARV, 1971.
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