~ 720th Military Police Battalion Vietnam History Project ~
Tra Vinh (Phu Vinh)
Detachments & Convoys
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This Page Last Updated   12 January 2018
   if you served at this detachment or on the convoy escorts and would like to contribute any information, personal stories, documents, media articles, photographs, or can provide additional or new information on any events not listed in the Battalion Timeline, please take a moment to contact Tom Watson the History Project & Website Manager at the Email Link provided below. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Battalion history and always welcomed here.
   Use this link for information on How You Can Help.
    To send your photographs or documents use the Email Link below. Scan them as large as you can. Direct any questions to the History Project Manager via the same Email Link.
CLICK ON INDIVIDUAL RIBBONS FOR CRITERIA

This Timeline has been reduced to a summary. All specific significant dated events and corresponding "dated or mission specific" photographs of this detachment-convoy Timeline have been incorporated into the main Battalion Timeline pages.

     To assist in locating the detachment-convoy events from your tour, each entree on the main Battalion Timeline pages is proceeded by the designation Tra Vinh Detachment or Convoy. To review your tour in the Battalion Timeline, use the To Vietnam Main Index link above.
MACV
18th MP
Brigade
720th MP
Battalion
Tra Vinh (Phu Vinh) was located 200 kilometers (124.7 miles) southeast of Saigon in the Vinh Binh Province of the Mekong River Delta area of Military Region IV, between the Tien and Hau branches of the Mekong River. Because it was located on a peninsula it was somewhat isolated compared with other towns in the Delta.
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     Allied combat military units operating in the area during 1971 were elements of the U.S. 9th Infantry Division headquartered in Dong Tam supported by the 191st Assault Helicopter Company “Boomerangs,” U.S. Navy Mobile Riverine Force, MACV Advisory Teams and 21st ARVN Infantry Division and local regional and popular forces units.
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1971
New Provost Marshal Office at Tra Vinh (Phu Vinh)
September
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5 September The 720th MP Battalion established a temporary Provost Marshal Office (PMO) at Tra Vinh, IV Corps Tactical Zone, from existing resources of B Company. Due to the tactical situation one V100 Armored Commando Car was provided in addition to gun jeeps.
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     The mission of this provost marshal office was to provide combat support and combat service support to engineer elements repairing Highway 7A (to Vinh Long), and to Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Military Advisory Team (MAT) #72, with whom they are quartered.
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     The detachment's primary mission was escorting engineer convoys through populated areas along Highway LTL-7A. The incidents requiring military police investigation was limited to traffic accidents and aggravated assaults.
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If you are a battalion veteran that was assigned to this mission and you have any personal stories, reflections or photographs, please use the Email Link at the top of this page to contact the History Project Manager.
Includes Area Map
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      Since the beginning of the year 93rd, 34th and 69th Engineer Battalion’s were involved in road repair and construction in the Vinh Binh Province area. By September support and construction elements of the battalion’s were headquartered at and utilizing the Tray Vinh and Vinh Long Base Camps.
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      The repair and upgrade operations of Highway LTL-7A involved a total distance 64 kilometers (37.7 miles), including 13 permanent highway bridges (described as the largest bridge construction mission in Vietnam), and was being conducted from both the Vinh Long end through Tra Vinh to the Binh Long end of the highway through rice paddies where no by-passes could be constructed. To facilitate traffic at the bridge construction sites, the engineers either built one half of the bridge lanes at a time or brought in M4T6 float bridge bypasses. This resulted in major traffic control complications for the heavy military and civilian commerce traffic between the two ends of the roadway. For a brief period in one 1.5-kilometer area the traffic had to be towed by bulldozers.
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      In addition, the construction of a new 500 man base camp (and rock pier at the Mang Thit for waterborne deliveries) near Tra Vinh to house the large influx of the engineer troops, material (rock) storage areas, asphalt & concrete plants, vehicles and heavy equipment also added to the discipline, law and order mission of the B Company Detachment.
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     The constriction of the highway was completed on 15 December and the base camp was turned over to the ARVN on 20 December.
 
  The detachment's mission progress, incidents and eventual termination were not mentioned in the available Brigade, Group and Battalion records for the remainder of their tours in Vietnam.
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     The History Project wishes to extend its appreciation to 1LT Charles R. Barnes, MACV, MAT 76, 82nd RF Battalion, June 1970 to June 1971, for contributing his photographs for this page.
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