~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association Vietnam History Project ~
Bien Hoa Detachment
 
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This Page Last Updated  30 December 2012
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   From 1965 through 1972 many of the units mentioned in this detachment Time Line were at one time assigned to military police and security duties at Bien Hoa, separately or jointly. All have Vietnam era website's hosted by the Battalion.

   As a result, the Bien Hoa Detachment histories of the 615th MP Company, and 720th MP Battalion have been combined in this detachment time line to provide the appropriate historical continuity.
MACV
18th MP
Brigade
89th MP
Group
720th MP
Battalion
Bien Hoa City several miles north east of Long Bin Post, III Corps Tactical Zone, was host to numerous US and allied units during the war, to include, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, 101st Air Borne Division, 9th Infantry Division, 161st Battery New Zealand Artillery, A Company Detachment C-III 5th Special Forces, 25th Aviation Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Signal Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and 20th Engineer Brigade just to name a few.
1965
    Lacking official documentation and based only on information from the veterans, members of the 615th MP Company staffed a detachment within the city that stayed at the MACV Honor Smith compound. At the same time the 615th, then subordinate to the 716th MP Battalion in Saigon, also staffed a daily daytime joint checkpoint mission with the Vietnamese National Police (Canh Sat) on Highway-1 at Thu Duc.
Miscellaneous Photographs
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 Your photographs needed here!
1966

     During the year the 1st Platoon of the 560th MP Company maintained a detachment performing discipline, law and order duties within the city.

February The 615th MP Company billeted their 3rd platoon at the MACV Honor Smith Compound. They provided site security on the new Long Binh Post during the construction of the II Field Forces Headquarters building complex.
560th MP Company Replaced by the 720th MP Battalion

15 November When the 720th MP Battalion became operational A Company replaced the detachment of the 560th MP Company that was previously performing discipline, law and order duties in Bien Hoa City.

        At the time of the reassignment several MPs from the 560th were transferred to the organic companies of the 720th MP Battalion to maintain mission continuity. Among them were Edward F. Jensen, William R. Dixon and Thomas A. Cook to A Company, Johnny Lassere, PFC Dwaine T. Lesson to B Company and David J. Morgan to C Company.

        The discipline, law and order mission was in support of the 179th MP Detachment Provost Marshals Office, MACV.

        With Bien Hoa being the nearest city to Long Binh Post which became the largest U.S. military base in South Vietnam, the discipline, law and order mission could be very hectic.
17 December The 615th MP Company was transferred from the 716th MP Battalion (Saigon) and reassigned subordinate to the 720th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post) with assignment to  the Long Binh Post - Bien Hoa convoy escort mission. With Bien Hoa and Long Binh Post being next door neighbors, the convoy missions actual run time took less than an hour both ways. More time was actually spent staging for departure and waiting for unloading to return.
24 December The 615th MP Company, was tasked with replacing A Company for the responsibility of the 1) Bien Hoa City discipline, law, and order mission. The company detachment commander was 1LT Tom O'Malley.
1) The assignment for patrols of Bien Hoa City and nearby Bien Hoa Airbase (BHAB) were separate assignments. Physical security at the airbase was conducted by Air Force Security Police Unit's... 34th ABG Air Police Squadron, assigned 1964 to 1965.... 3d Security Police Squadron, assigned 8 November 1965 to 15 March 1971... 6251st SPS assigned 1972, until BHAB reverted to ARVN control in 1972 or early 1973.
Miscellaneous Photographs
 PFC Fahey, 615th with three Can Sat's at the II Field Force HQ construction site.
 PFC Don Parcell, A Company with patrol jeep.
 PFC Don Parcell, A Company at the PMO.
1967

February to 30 April Members of the 720th MP Battalion under the auspices of the 89th MP Group Civic Action Program (CAP) furnished materials and voluntary labor to assist the 3rd ARVN Military Police Battalion in Bien Hoa to construct a well for the ARVN MP Battalion housing area. Prior to the well being constructed the water was transported and stored in 55 gallon drums in the compound.

        The Battalion also hosted a dinner for the Officers and Sergeant Major of the 3rd ARVN MP Battalion.

April 24 The Commanding Officer 179th MP Detachment PMO, 95th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post) 89th MP Group, submitted a letter of request to move their headquarters from Bien Hoa to Long Binh Post. With the duality of the PMO Mission and operation MOOSE (consolidation of U.S. facilities on Long Binh Post) the move would lessen the need for compound security. The new PMO would also include the Long Binh Post MP Desk. The request was concurred by the 18th MP Brigade, and by 15 June the move was made to a new building just inside Main Gate-1.

    The move would also precipitate the reassigning of discipline, law and order (DLO) missions for both the 615th and the 720th MP Battalion's organic companies. The 615th had been tasked with the Bien Hoa City DOL mission while the 720th MP Battalion had been performing DLO mission on Long Binh Post.

 
The 615th and 720th MP Battalion switch DLO missions.
December The 615th MP Company discipline, law, and order patrols in Bien Hoa City were reassigned to the area of Long Binh Post under the 179th MP Detachment Provost Marshals Office. The 720th MP Battalion (B Company) once again was assigned to town patrol in Bien Hoa City.

The Provost Marshal of Bien Hoa was MAJ (COL Ret.) Leon D. Sexton.

The Provost Marshal  SSG (MSG Ret.) Donald H. Pruitt, 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion & 179th MP Detachment (PMO), 95th MP Battalion, July 1967 to June 1968.
Miscellaneous Photographs
.
 Your photographs needed here!
1968

January Early in the month the 179th MP Detachment PMO MP Desk in Bien Hoa was moved to a new location and building.

The New Bien Hoa PMO  Upon my arrival at the Bien Hoa PMO from the 188th MP Company, I reported to Major Leon D. Sexton, Provost Marshal of the 179th MP Detachment, Bien Hoa Province. The new job was extremely rewarding and challenging. My previous experience of nine years MP work really helped me to deal with this job of running a PM Operation of the magnitude of the Bien Hoa Province.

     The town was number one on the list of places for combat soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, 9th Infantry Division, 196th Light Infantry Brigade and the 1st Infantry Division, in addition to other units from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force and allied units.

     The volume of paperwork was unbelievable. On my busiest day, I remember processing 55 reports of "Off-limits" violations and 12 traffic accident reports with several fatalities. This didn't include many other lesser significant reports from that same day. The Detention Holding Cell was usually full when I arrived at the MP Station each morning.

     Among the many accomplishments, I consider the successful move from the old MP Station to a new location in Bien Hoa in January, 1968 to be near the top of the list. The worst was yet to come.

     During the night of 31 January 1968, all hell broke loose in Bien Hoa and most other locations around South Vietnam at the start of the Communist Tet New Years Offensive. We had a grand total of twenty-six MPs from the 720th MP Battalion who were performing all the MP patrol duties in the Bien Hoa Province.

     We could have easily used an entire Battalion to handle the many duties which were being dropped in our laps. After TET started, the whole Bien Hoa area was off-limits. This meant that no U.S. military personnel were allowed to enter local establishments or households PERIOD! Of course enforcing such an order bordered on the impossible, but we were expected to accomplish that anyway. SSG (MSG Ret.) Donald H. Pruitt, 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion & 179th MP Detachment (PMO), 95th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, July 1967 to June 1968.

31 January During the attack on the Bien Hoa City the twenty-six MPs from B Company who were on patrol began working 24 hour days. They watched for snipers, provided general security, and supported elements of the 9th Infantry Division during their sweep to remove the last vestages of enemy troops from within the city.

     The 615th MP Company and B Company escorted ammunition from the 3rd Ordnance Ammunition Supply Depot at Long Binh Post to the Bien Hoa Air Base which like the city was under attack. The urgent need of the supplies made it necessary to run the convoys both day and night.
9th
Division
Tet
PMO Operations
Bien Hoa City

The Provost Marshal of Bien Hoa February-April was CPT Richard Flynn

The Provost Marshal  SSG (MSG Ret.) Donald H. Pruitt, 188th MP Company, 92nd MP Battalion & 179th MP Detachment (PMO), 95th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, July 1967 to June 1968.

10 February As a result of a study conducted on the projected troop growth on Long Binh Post the 18th MP Brigade ordered the 89th MP Group to designate one dedicated MP Company to perform all the gate security and discipline, law and order duties within the post and and assist the 179th Provost Marshal Detachment. Group reassigned the 615th MP Company from the 720th MP Battalion to the 95th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post). Its duties changed from primarily combat-service support to more traditional military police functions of service-support which included joint patrols with the Can Sat and Quan Canh in Bien Hoa and the mission at the Thu Duc Can Sat Headquarters on Highway 1A.
95th MP
Battalion
     The 615th MPs that worked at the Bien Hoa and Thu Duc Detachments billeted and held their Guard Mount at their company compound on Long Binh Post before commuting via patrol jeeps for their daily combined patrol assignments.
19 February C Company provided a detachment consisting of 1 Noncommissioned Officer and 10 enlisted men for direct support to the 101st Airborne Division training center at Bien Hoa Airbase. The C Company MPs performed the discipline, law and order patrols at the training center. The C Company mission ended 18 March, and the detachment was redeployed back to their regular company assignments.
101st
18 June SSG Donald H. Pruitt, PMO Operations Sergeant for the 179th MP Detachment completed his tour.
Miscellaneous Photographs
 Provost Marshal Vietnam BG Karl Gustafson tours the PMO.
 Unidentified MPs of the( 615th ?) at the MP Desk.
 MPs of the 615th await guard mount on Long Binh Post.
 SP/4's Lazenby, Irby of the 615th on a joint patril in Bien Hoa with their Vietnamese counterparts.
1969
January CPT Frederick W. Honerkamp, III completed his assignment as Company Commander of the 615th MP Company and was transferred to the 179th Provost Marshal detachment, and assigned the position of Deputy Provost Marshal, Bien Hoa.
June CPT Frederick W. Honerkamp, III departed as Deputy PM at Bien Hoa and returned to the United States.
Miscellaneous Photographs
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 Your photographs needed here!
1970
     Your stories and information on Bien Hoa operations needed for this year.
Miscellaneous Photographs
 Downtown Bien Hoa.
1971
   The 557th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion was tasked with the Bien Hoa mission.
Miscellaneous Photographs
.
  Your photographs needed here!
1972

20 March The 557th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, stood down and returned to the United States. The 615th MP Company was again assigned the Bien Hoa duties.

13 April The 95th MP Battalion (Long Binh Post), stood down and returned to the United States. The 615th MP Company was again assigned subordinate to the 720th MP Battalion and continued its duties in Bien Hoa.

        The 615th conducted their combined discipline, law and order patrols in Bien Hoa with members of the 3rd Quan Canh Battalion (Military Police) and 307th Canh Sat Battalion  (National Police).

        Even with the continuing draw down of U.S. and allied troops under the Vietnamization Program, the Bien Hoa Airfield and Long Binh Post still greatly effected the traffic and commerce in and around the city.

        With the crackdown on substance abuse and vice, many South Vietnamese cities were now off limits to all allied and U.S. personnel except for official business, Bien Hoa was among them.

        Much of the patrol time in the city was dedicated to deterring military personnel from frequenting the city and rooting out those that violated the off limits regulations.
 
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