Tay Ninh Convoy  The first official convoy duties of the battalion were officially assigned to B Company. It involved the escort of ammunition and supply convoys from the 3rd Ordnance Supply Depot on Long Binh Post to the Chu Chi (Binh Duong Province) and Tay Ninh (Tay Ninh Province) base camps of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in Tay Ninh Province near the Cambodian border in the III Corps Tactical Zone.

Personal Reflections  “Members of 3rd Platoon, 4th Squad of B Company took their Parrot "LT Polly" on the Tay Ninh Convoy escort. The joke was if a canary in a coal mine gave early warning of danger, then a parrot on a perch in a jeep could warn of an ambush.”   SP/4 Allan M. Portnoy, B Company & 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, October 1966-October 1967.

Personal Reflections  “The Tay Ninh convoy used to leave real early in the morning- like 0330 hours or so. One morning I was leaning on my jeep waiting for all of the trucks to arrive and I was half asleep. I heard someone talking and looked around and a three star general was walking down asking everyone about the food and if they had eaten. Startled, I just said- "yes, it was OK."

     The general then asked the older guy I was working with (he was maybe 23). He pushed his helmet up and with bloodshot eyes said to the general, "who the hell could eat at this time of the day."

     The general laughed and said, "I'm with you buddy."  SP/4 Charles R. Patrick, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, October 1966-October 1967.

Personal Reflections  “SP/4 Robert C. Schlag, Jr. from A Company [Oct 1966-Oct 1967] was in the jeep behind me, his call sign was "Smooth Glacier 9." The escort radio net had been a source of entertaining goofiness all day and SGT Norman J. E. Eck [A Company, Oct 1966-Oct 1967] came on the net and warned all, "the next person playing on the radio will answer to me."

     We cleared a portable bridge next to a blown one (convoy progress check point) and reported "Smooth Glacier 8 clear [passed] Charlie Papa Echo. SP/4 Schlag then reported, "Smooth Glacier 9 clear Charlie Papa Echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo.

     I can still remember seeing SGT Eck standing on the top of the bridge at Newport waiting for us to get there."  SP/4 Charles R. Patrick, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, October 1966-October 1967.

      Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies also jointly provided military police support to Allied units as directed by commanding officer, 179th Provost Marshal Detachment, 95th MP Battalion, 89th Military Police Group, 18th Military Police Brigade, United States Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV).

     Although the first official operational assignments to the battalions three organic companies (A, B & C) were unit specific, all three companies shared the duties on a rotating basis.

     During the first months many of the original battalion staff were reassigned and exchanged for men from other MP companies already in Vietnam. This was done due to the one year tour rotation program, it prevented the entire battalion staff from having to leave at the same time when their tours came to an end.

10 November  The Battalion also provided general purpose military police support as an Army-level Battalion to include; discipline, law, and order; physical post security; traffic control; POW (Prisoner of War) transport, confinement; and convoy escort.

     What began as a small-scale, limited-objective combat training exercise for the 196th Light Infantry Brigade on 14 September unexpectedly developed into a widespread, protracted, multi organizational battle before it ended on 24 November 1966.

      The area of operations was on the southern fringes of the Dong Minh Chau, or War Zone C, as it was popularly called, and War Zone D, just to the east and in the southern portion of Phuoc Long Province, III Corps Tactical Zone.

< War Zone C & D

6 November The corps-level II Field Force Vietnam took control of the operation until the final action on 25 November 1966.

   This operation was the field test of a new search and destroy pattern of area warfare; multi-divisional corps level operations.

15 November The Battalion was officially assigned the mission of convoy escorts and security in support of the 90th Replacement Battalion at Long Binh Post. Convoys were escorted between Long Binh Post, Bien Hoa and Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Camp Alpha outside of Saigon.

     Operation OVERSEER was initiated as a Battalion mission to provide daily route and supply convoy security for the 40 mile run from Long Binh Post in Bien Hoa Province to the city of Xuan Loc and the nearby headquarters of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment “Blackhorse” base camp just south of the city in an area formerly known as Long Gaio in Long Khan Province. In later months and years this operation would be referred to as the Long Gaio, Xuan Loc, and Blackhorse Convoy. The name Blackhorse was in recognition of the black stallion displayed on the 11th Armored Cavalry Division shoulder patch.

     The convoy would depart the Long Binh Post staging area head northeast along Highway QL-1 (about 40 miles) through the city of Xuan Loc. After passing through Xuan Loc, Highway QL-1 turned southwest at a fork in the road where the Highway-1 sign pointed to Da lat. The southwest Highway LTL-2 was a two-lane dirt road (for about 5 miles) through a Michelin rubber plantation to the base camp.

     Air support for the convoy was provided by the 505th Tactical Control Group, 19th TASS Tactical Air Support Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment-Army TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) Air Liaison Officer, U.S. Air Force, that maintained a detachment at the Blackhorse base camp of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The Blackhorse TACP call sign was “Nile Control.”

     The convoy commander, an officer from the transportation group, depending on the size, type of cargo, and intelligence reports on enemy activity in the area, would have the option of requesting FAC (Forward Air Control) support assigned to the mission, aircraft availability and weather conditions permitting. All request for FAC support through the Bien Hoa Air Force Base was coordinated by the designated Air Liaison Officer (ALO), a member of the ground commander’s staff, who was also a senior Forward Air Controller (FAC), and supervisor of the FAC unit in the Tactical Air Control Unit assigned to the geographical area.

     "When we started running the Blackhorse convoys in 1967 it was daylight. We would usually run it with 2 armored jeeps or non-armored jeeps and one V100. About 1 month into it, it was announced that we would take the night away from Charlie and run the convoys at night. At night we would try to have 3 M-60 jeeps and one V100.

      When we reached Xuan Loc at night we would immediately turn around and head for home. To me I think it was a 40 to 50 mile round trip."   SP/4 Lynn Jorgensen, 615th MP Company, 720th & 95th MP Battalions, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1967-1968.

      Remember many, many vehicles and on several occasions was the senior MP in charge but at this moment cannot remember the count. Longs lines formed along highway North of Long Binh. Many tankers (I hated to get stationed between the tankers)-tried to separate them if we could but often they would be in line together (though spaced properly). Many times I drove point with v-100 and one or two machine gun mounted jeeps.

      Do not remember the miles During our time, the convoy’s lined up at dusk and was run during the night. Return with empties was in morning light and believe returned to post mid-AM. Sleep and then back on the road again.

      I remember running point for awhile as mentioned above and then getting close to end of tour I asked the first sergeant to move me in the convoy, toward the middle, because I thought it was so risky being in front. First night out my machine gun mounted jeep was positioned among fuel tankers. Great! The night was wet-with heavy rains. I remember when I used to drive in the heavy rain; it would push the eyelids down and at times force you to sleep whilst driving (we all were so tired). In fact, on a side story I remember waking up driving under an extended roof of a building almost 30 yards off the road - everyone was sleeping under their poncho's during the heavy rain. Being so startled I swerved hard and drove back onto the roadway and by God's grace didn't hit anything. No body ever knew about the 'almost' accident except for me.

      Later in same circumstances with two very new guys as driver and shotgun, I manned the machine gun and radio (new guys didn't know procedure or check points) I was under my poncho staying warm and dry and on occasion peaking out to make sure driver had right space and was driving in the middle of the road (to avoid mines). Sure enough, the middle of the convoy received continuous automatic weapons fire right at the tanker behind me. From experienced reflex I had poncho off, machine gun pouring fire back upon those that fired at us and had the position check point called in + a flare up over the attack position. The 11th Cavalry responded in force to the attack plus there was almost immediate air support with Huey's maybe some others. Funny: I heard the new guys talking when we were at rest at Xuan Loc awaiting the emptied vehicles to get organized and return. "Damn these old guys (I was only 20) are so good! Will we ever be like that?” Later while back home, during Tet, I was hoping they were all like that. And from what I heard (some were stationed with me later in Ft. Richie, Maryland) many guys were even better than that-I am grateful.

      Lots of other stories but mostly remember being tired. When we arrived back in company I remember being so tired I could take apart our weapons, clean them and put them together with my eyes closed and half way napping during the process.”   SP/4 Dave Kerkhoff, 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, January-December 1967.

     “Around December 1967 as the new guy on the block, I was looking for a steady job and a steady shift, so I talked with the NCOIC of the night convoys who was getting short and he described the night convoy work as a piece of cake. He also said that there were times when he fell asleep in the jeep on the way up and back. This sounded like my kind of job, so I went out with him one night and it was OK. I told 1SG Shields that I would like to take over the night escort detail. I forgot what my father, a WWII Army vet told me, “Do not volunteer for anything,” well I got the job!

       Needless to say, I was not having a good night. All I could think about is that lying NCO "buddy" of mine who told me this would be a piece of cake. I called in a Dust-Off, evacuated the wounded from the now burning APC, and called ahead to the lieutenant for assistance. While all of this is going on I find out he is sitting in the mess hall at the base camp having coffee. I finally got the rear element of the convoy to Long Gaio, and went to sleep in the back seat of my jeep.

      When we all returned to the company the next morning, I marched into the first sergeants office and asked him not to ever again send me out there with that lieutenant. The funny part of the story is the next night I took my MP’s to the rally point for the next convoy. The lieutenant was not in sight and I have one ambulance (no blood to transport) and one bobtail without a tow chain. I asked the guys where the rest of the folks are and they say that nobody wanted to go with us. Next I get a call over the radio from our Battalion CO who asked me how many vehicles we had. I told him two, and he said to cancel the convoy for the night. We had more MP vehicles than convoy vehicles! We did not have another night convoy to Xuan Loc after that, until some time after Tet 1968.

       The one thing about the incident that I regret even today is not being able to go back and help the Quan Canh’s in their 3/4-ton truck. Although they were not an official part of my convoy, they were fellow MP’s.”   SGT (CW5 Ret.) James F. Ruffer, 615th MP Company, 720th & 95th MP Battalions, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, November 1967-August 1968.

       After we arrived at Blackhorse we went to the 720th Detachment and unloaded a couple of the gun-jeeps and went into Xuan Loc to visit a local establishment and wait for the truckers to unload their cargo. We would return to Blackhorse and load up and go to the marshaling area for the return trip to Long Binh. Some of the fellows didn't go into Xuan Loc and stayed at the detachment.

      We could eat in the detachment mess hall and go to the 11th Cavalry PX. Otherwise we took naps in the detachment Dayroom.

      The trip back was much faster and lasted a couple of hours. We were usually back by 4:30 PM and drove directly to the armory to off load the weapons. We cleaned all our weapons and checked them back in with the armorer. The driver would then take the gun-jeep to the motor pool, washing the jeep and fuel it for the next day. Only then did we go to our hooch’s to get cleaned up for chow.

      Besides working the Blackhorse Convoy, we were also assigned to the Long Binh Post Reactionary Force and had to be available, if called upon.”   SP/4 Thomas A. McKeon A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1968-1969.

15 November  89th MP Group's  Operation Plan BOND was initiated as a Battalion mission that tasked  B Company  to assign a platoon of MP’s to relieve the 148th MP Platoon of their discipline, law, and order mission in support of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at their “Blackhorse” Base Camp.

     The detachment also provided town patrols in the neighboring village of Xuan Loc located in Long Khan Province, III Corps Tactical Zone approximately forty-five miles southeast of Long Binh Post. Blackhorse was the largest allied military base in the area, part of the Saigon defensive ring. The base name was derived from the distinctive Black Stallion depicted on the shoulder patch of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The detachments footprint was first physically located within the base camp, then moved in later years near the city of Xuan Loc at several locations, and referred to under several different names, Long Gaio, Blackhorse, Xuan Loc, and the "Husky" (compound).

19 November  Viet Cong sappers once again attacked the 3rd Ordnance Ammunition Supply Depot on Long Binh Post with satchel charges destroying 1,265 105-mm artillery rounds. Due to the ease of the local Viet Cong to successfully attack the depot at will, the Battalion was tasked with providing outside perimeter security.

Late November, Exact Date Unknown  Seven Infantry companies totaling more than 1,000 troops arrived in Vietnam and were assigned to the 18th MP Brigade to assist and augment the brigades physical security operations, and be authorized to wear the 18th MP Brigade patch.       Organized at Fort Lewis, Washington in June 1966, the units participated together in basic and advanced infantry training before departing for Vietnam.

     An advance party reached Vietnam several weeks early for briefings at Brigade Headquarters to prepare the main body for duties guarding ports, billets, pipelines, pumping stations and other vital locations.

     Arriving on the USNS Buckner, units of the main body disembarked at three locations: Qui Nhon, Cam Ranh Bay and Vung Tau. One company at Qui Nhon was attached to the 93rd MP Battalion, 16th MP Group. Three companies disembarked at Cam Ranh Bay to join the 97th MP Battalion, 16th MP Group, and the three remaining companies landed at Vung Tau, in III Corps Tactical Zone. One was attached to the 716th MP Battalion, USARV in Saigon, one (D Company, 87th Infantry) to the 95th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group at Long Binh, and one in Tan Son Nhut with the 92nd MP Battalion, 89h MP Group.

     Of the seven, elements of D Company, 87th Infantry (Rifle Security) would eventually be attached to Charlie Company of the 720th MP Battalion to perform physical security at the Cogido Docks, and occasional supplemental manpower for Bravo Company village outposts and ambush teams, while one platoon would be dedicated as a mortar platoon to support the battalion’s counterinsurgency-pacifications operations in their Tactical Area of Responsibility during the 3 years of Operation ROUNDUP and STABILIZE. In 1969 during the downsizing of the 18th MP Brigade under the intensified Vietnamization program, the mortar platoon mission and its personnel were assimilated by Bravo Company.