II Field Force

Operation JUNCTION CITY 20 February to 23 April 1967 This Page Last Updated   9 January 2012

The operation, conducted in War Zone C, northern Tay Ninh Province, III Corps Tactical Zone, was the only airborne operation and largest search & destroy operation in the Vietnam War. It lasted from 22 February to 14 May 1967, and involved a total of twenty-two military battalions from the 1st, 4th, and 25th Infantry Divisions, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and 173 Airborne Brigade.

It was conducted in hopes of clearing the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF also known as the Viet Cong) units from the area of War Zone C, northeast of Saigon. Another goal of the operation was the possible capture or destruction of the PAVN/NLF Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN). The headquarters controlled all enemy activities south of the tri-border region of Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam. The operation was considered largely successful by the U.S. command, although enemy units returned to the area once allied forces were withdrawn. COSVN itself withdrew to the safety of Cambodian territory, where it remained for the rest of the U.S. commitment to the Vietnam War.

Total U.S. casualties were listed at 283 Killed In Action, enemy losses were estimated at 2,728 Killed, 280 captured, 540 defectors to allied forces, 512 suspected enemy detainees, and 5,987 refugees evacuated.

The 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade committed one officer and twenty-four enlisted men in direct support of the 1st Infantry Division and two officers and seventy-four enlisted men in direct support of the 25th Infantry Division in Operation JUNCTION CITY during the period of 20 February to 23 April 1967.

The Military Police support consisted of traffic control, convoy escort and security, POW security, refugee control, and general discipline, law, and order functions. The Battalion elements assigned to assist the 1st and 25th MP Companies were from A, B and C Company.

At Cu Chi / Tay Ninh during Operation JUNCTION CITY

20 February It was just about dusk when the convoy and B Company MP escorts of the Tay Ninh Convoy departed the 25th Infantry Division Tay Ninh base camp on their return trip to CONEX City (Newport Docks) just outside of Saigon. From there they would return to the safety of Long Binh Post.    Normally the convoy would have had a much earlier start that day and be able to return during the safe hours of daylight, but today there was a big push on in the area (Operation Junction City) so the combat support units had first priority loading at CONEX City which caused a six hour delay in the run north to Tay Ninh.

1st Infantry Division

4th Infantry Division

11th AC Regiment

25th Infantry Division

196th LI Brigade

173rd Airborne Brigade

18th MP Brigade

89th MP Group

720th MP Battalion

21 February It was now early in the morning of the second day, approximately 0230 hours (2:30AM), when the third and final delay came.

   SGT Cartee’s gun jeep was following behind two Armored Personnel Carriers as they entered the village of Cu Chi. Suddenly, to their left, a large explosion occurred from a command detonated mine, it blew their jeep sideways. SGT Cartee and his driver were temporarily dazed and the machine gunner, who was standing by his gun at the ready, seriously wounded from multiple shrapnel hits above and below his flack jacket. The other vehicles came to their aid and set up defensive positions but the enemy didn’t follow up with any additional fire. SGT Cartee had SFC Donn S. Gilray, also of B Company, who accompanied the convoy as an observer, switch his machine gunner for the wounded man.

    SFC Gilray then drove the wounded MP to the hospital at the Cu Chi base camp. SGT Cartee, whose jeep escaped any serious damage from the blast, continued on with the convoy towards Saigon. The convoy and escorts finally ended their long day without further incident.

Edited from information provided by SGT J.T. Cartee (FSG Retired), B Company.

   I can not recall the name of the river. The bridge was located between Saigon and Tay Ninh, during Operation Junction City. Notice the shelter half's attached to the bridge railing, it's stretched over the wooden walkway portion of the bridge.

   When we were off-duty this is where we slept, and also kept our equipment dry when it rained. There were four of us assigned to each bridge and we worked in shifts, two MPs on duty at each end of the bridge. We pulled this duty for a week, and were then reassigned to convoy escort.

   We did that for one round trip, and were then assigned to perimeter security of a temporary POW / Refugee area.

Reflections of PFC Dwaine T. Lesson, 560th MP Company, & B Company, 720th MP Battalion.