At the start of the year the battalion’s organic units, HQ & HQ Detachment, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Company (active less personnel and equipment) was headquartered subordinate to III Corps, U.S. 4th Army, 1st Logistics Command at Fort Hood, Texas.

16 January The following personnel were awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal.

SP/4 Ralph E. Hardman of A Company for the time period of 8 February 1961 through 7 February 1963;

SP/4 Fred A. Schnell of HQ & HQ Detachment for the period of 14 February 1961 through 13 February 1963;

SP/4 Daniel L. Wabakken of HQ & HQ Detachment for the period of 13 February 1961 through 12 February 1963.

     One platoon of Alpha Company comprised of 1 officer and 49 enlisted personnel with all remaining battalion TO&E equipment departed Oxford, Mississippi via ground convoy transport for Fort Hood, Texas.

18 January The remaining personnel of Alpha Company composed of three officers and 116 enlisted personnel departed Oxford, Mississippi to Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee and closed via air transport at Fort Hood, Texas.

     On the same day the Alpha Company platoon with all personnel and TO&E equipment closed at Fort Hood, Texas via motor convoy.

     "We rotated additional deployments to Oxford, Mississippi with other military police units. I spent Christmas of 1962 and New Years of 1963 back in Oxford. During that deployment the area received 3 to 4 inches of snow and it was very cold. By this time we were living in the large tents that had oil stoves in them for heat.

     While there I was promoted from Private First Class to Specialist 4th Class. There was also an incident were some of the fellows obtained some local “White Lightning,” and tried to run over one of the big tents that I was in."   SP/4 Ralph C. Lewis, Able Company, 1962-1963.

7 February The Fort Hood Post Boy Scout Troops, operating under the Boy Scout (Fort Hood) Troop Committee celebrated their 52rd anniversary with a week-long program of troop awareness and recognition of their sponsoring units. Of the thirteen individual units there are, four Cub packs, six Scout troops and three Explorer posts. The battalion and the 2nd Battalion, 52nd Infantry, 1st Armored Division, sponsor Troop 127.

1600 hours, Provost Marshal General of the Army, MG Ralph J. Butchers arrived at Temple Municipal Airport for a two-day visit to all military police units on Fort Hood. COL Marion C. Miller, the Fort Hood Provost Marshal, greeted him at the airport. That evening MG Butchers attended an informal dinner party given in his honor.

8 February In the morning MG Butchers was welcomed during a ceremonial commander’s greeting by in front of Building No. 1 where MG Ralph E. Haines, Jr. 1st Armored Division welcomed him with a salute by Battery B, 3rd Artillery. Also present for the ceremony was a detachment of color bearers and the 720th MP Battalion honor guard, and two platoons representing the 501st and 502nd MP Companies. The 266th Army Band provided the music. Following the ceremony MG Butchers visited the deputy post commander and made a brief stop at 1st Log Command. Later that day MG Butchers observed the 720th in action in the field, and was briefed by Battalion Commander LTC Earl B. Milburn. The general viewed films of the battalion taken during Exercise SWIFT STRIKE II, and Exercise RAPID ROAD (deployment in Oxford, Mississippi).

9 February MG Butchers visited the 502nd and 501st MP Companies, followed by a visit to the post stockade and a conference with BG Frank S. Henry, III Corps chief of staff and Deputy Post Commander COL Cecil Himes.

Exact Date Unknown During a three-day Army Training Test of the battalion, the 501st MP Company (1st Armored Division) acted as aggressors. As the aggressors the 501st first harassed the battalions march columns, conducted night raids, and generally raised havoc testing the battalion’s ability in the field. The Continental Army Command (Fort Monroe, Virginia) and the 4th Army Provost Marshal’s Office were on had as observers, while the 1st Logistics Command Provost Marshal office and 501st and 502nd MP Companies and the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion acted as the test umpires.

     Beginning with the harassment of the march column in the vicinity of Manere Mountain, the 501st did not let up pressure until the problem was over. Stationing personnel in the battalion’s bivouac area forced the battalion to conduct thorough sweeping operations. Later that evening, the 501st attacked the command post.

     An administrative action turned a number of aggressors over to the battalion as POWs for behind-the-lines processing. Released later, the ex-prisoners continued their harassment with an ambush of a VIP escort problem conducted by the battalion on West Range Road

     Highlighting the three-day training test, the 501st changed roles and became civilians staging a riot around a simulated missile plant in North Fort Hood defended by the battalion. Delaying night march columns became a specialty of the 501st causing the battalion to lose appreciable amounts of time.

     Switching roles again, the 501st took up defense positions on the third and final day of the test in an examination of the battalion’s attacking abilities. Following the full battalion attack the test was called and the units returned to garrison.

17 March PFC’s Lester L. Ferrell and James Kilmerry of Bravo Company were sitting in the Fiddlers Green Service Club reading the Dallas Times Herald when they came upon a story about 17 year old Fred Wallace, a hemophilia victim who since last October had been receiving from 4 to 22 pints of blood each day, amounting to approximately 900 pints, resulting in an overwhelming debt for his mother of $17,000. They discussed the story and each soldier decided to donate one-pint of their own blood towards the care of Wallace. When they returned to the company compound they told the story to the other members of their platoon and anyone else who they came in contact with. The two soldiers then went to their company commander CPT Paul D. Kaufman and informed him they had acquired a total of 85 volunteers to contribute to the Wallace blood drive.

     Once her son Fred was ready for release and the trip home to Muskogee, Oklahoma and a reunion with his two sisters, his mother said, “Be certain to extend my deepest appreciation to all the generous men at Fort Hood who volunteered to make donations, it means so much to us.” “To me it’s one of the most heartwarming things I’ve ever encountered in my life. When total strangers, who don’t even know us have taken this situation into their hearts so warmly, willingly and ready to help us, it’s just overwhelming.”

     “Within a few days of my arrival at Alfa Company, three of us were assigned to guard the commander of one side in exercises for the Armored Divisions at Fort Hood. The side to which I was assigned was being commanded by two one-star [Brigadier] generals, who were scheduled to be relieved by a two-star (Major) general, who was being flown in from Fort Sam Huston, Texas.

     The landing zone for the new general was in a freshly plowed field and it was quite a site to see two generals racing and tripping over the dirt to be ready with a snappy salute when the general with one more star emerged from his copter.

     During that night, blackout conditions were imposed and the newly arrived general was in his trailer with the light on, which was showing outside. His aide, a lieutenant, was afraid to tell him he had to put out the light and I, as a slick-sleeve private, had to handle it. The general, by the way, was very gracious about it.” SGT David Lee Boone, HQ & HQ Detachment, 720th MP Battalion, 1963-1965 .

Exact Date Unknown During the first week of May in preparation for the upcoming 74th annual conference of the U.S. Armored Association, the 1st Logistics Command was assigned 15 square miles of Fort Hood’s range area for a general clean up. The battalion was detailed to the mission along with elements of the 185th Ordnance Battalion, 670th Transportation Company, and the 52nd Chemical Company.

15 May The bulk of Bravo Company commanded by CPT Paul D. Kaufman departed Gray Air Force Base for deployment to Oxford, Mississippi.

17 May The remaining troops of Bravo Company arrived at Oxford from Fort Hood, Texas to relieve and replace Alpha Company, 716th Battalion on station.

     In the Fort Hood and III Corps Softball League, the battalion’s Alpha Company was tied for third place with the 670th Transportation Company with a record of 6-3 in the ten-team National League, while HQ & HQ Detachment was in eight place of the ten-team American League.

WANTED: Information, photographs or personal stories relating to the battalion deployment to Oxford regardless of your deployment date. Please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.

     In Korea a U.S. Army OH-23 helicopter was forced down north of the DMZ. Its two officers were held by the North Korean Army for approximately one year before being returned.

3 June At the University of Mississippi, Oxford a court order was issued to allow a second Negro student to register for classes. Mr. Cleve McDowell age 21 of Drew, Mississippi, an honor graduate of Jackson State College wanted to attend the University’s law school. Although the college administration welcomed his registration, they had a legitimate fear that Governor Barnett who still openly opposed the university’s segregation would fan the still smoldering embers creating another racial disturbance.

     The Oxford Area Command met with the University administration and it was decided that Bravo Company would remain in the background ready to respond if needed while the FBI and Marshal’s Service continued the Peanut Patrol on Campus. Mr. McDowell was to receive the same protection as Mr. Meredith. However, there is some dispute alleging that he was actually on his own.

5 June 0815 hours, Oxford Area Command forces to include Bravo Company, went on full alert with the summer registration of both Mr. McDowell and Mr. Meredith. No crowds gathered and the Governor did not appear on campus.

     Following the 1962 withdrawal of the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group (USMAAG) - Laos under the terms of the Geneva Agreement which was to make Laos a neutral country, Soviet [Russian] and Chinese Communist supported North Vietnamese Army trained guerilla group pressure that previously had been contained in Laos, crossed the border to spread subversion in the northern Thailand frontier area. Fortunately, the pro-western Thai government recognized the increase in the communist subversive activities to train and indoctrinate the Thai villagers in guerilla warfare.

     Although the only armed communist activity at the time being conducted was by a few Malayan communist guerillas in the Thai-Malay border area, the existence in Northeast Thailand of well disciplined Viet Minh [Viet Cong] – controlled pockets of Vietnamese refugees, totaling 40 to 50 thousand, represented a potential for insurgency that could be exploited by the communist at will.

     Like the insurgency, the most serious threat of armed subversive activity also was in Northeast Thailand where the anti-western cadre received aid and direction from the association of pro-communist Thai exiles in Laos.

     Toward the end of the year the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand submitted a revised Assistance Strategy Statement for Thailand to the Department of State. This statement had the approval of all elements of the U.S. diplomatic mission, and provided broad strategy and objectives for Agency for International Development (AID) and military assistance programs. The coverage of the external threat to Thailand in the statement was particularly significant since it indicated that Chief, Joint Military Advisory Group (CHJUSMAG) Thailand have been able to arrive at an evaluation of the external threat that was acceptable to all elements.

     An increase in U.S. aid was directed by the Thai government to increase ongoing civic action programs to counter the current communist indoctrination missions in the area. In addition CHJUSMAG prepared a plan for the ground defense of Thailand that incorporated the redeployment of certain Thai Army units from the Bangkok area to the north and northeast areas to support counterinsurgency and national defense efforts that included staging of military units, air support facilities, logistics, and repair and construction of existing and new roadways and bridges.

     In 1963 with the growing communist insurgency expansion throughout Southeast Asia, the U.S. also began a prepositioning of air, naval and army forces throughout the Pacific theater.

     Editors Note: The name Dhanarajata is an alternative spelling of the Thi language for the name “Thanarat.” Sarit Thanarat was a former Field Marshal (June 16, 1908 – December 8, 1963) who was a Thai career soldier that staged a coup in 1957, thereafter serving as Thailand’s Prime Minister until his death in 1963. During his years as Prime Minister Sarit was a patron of his cousin, the Laotian strongman General Phoumi Nosavan who lead the fight against the communist Pathet Lao guerillas in the neighboring Kingdom of Laos.

     U.S. forces participating in the exercise consisted of one infantry battle group from Hawaii, one airborne brigade from Okinawa, one tactical fighter squadron (18 F-400’s), tactical reconnaissance fighters (4 RF-101’s), and transport aircraft (14 C-130’s). In addition, the 315th Air Division and MATS aircraft were utilized during deployment, exercise, and redeployment to provide airlift to all Services.

     For the exercise, a Commonwealth brigade (one rifle company each from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, each representing a battalion), with fighter, bomber and transport aircraft participated. France, Pakistan and the Philippines also provided headquarters staff officers. The Philippine contribution consisted of elements of their Army ordnance and engineer units. The Thais utilized four of their regimental combat teams, special-forces units and aircraft.

     It was planned that the U.S. battle group from Hawaii would remain in Thailand until some time after 5 July 1963, for further training and area indoctrination. They were later redesignated as the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

     While the French Colonial Forces battled the Viet Minh in Tonkin (Hanoi area) between 1945 and 1953, some 45,000 North Vietnamese refugees fled the hostilities and moved into Thailand where they settled. There were also approximately 9,000,000 Thais of Laotian heritage (Lao’s) also settled in the country. Neither the Vietnamese nor Lao’s held any sense of nationality or loyalty to the Thai government. Communist infiltrator’s, both Viet Cong and Pathet Lao, were sneaking into Thailand and instigating rebellion of the Vietnamese and Lao’s against the local district and national governments.

     Spurred by the discovery of hidden Communist arms caches and reports of supply drops by parachute in the northeast, Thai Premier Sarit Thanarat began an aggressive civic action and counterinsurgency program to counteract communist influence in the area before it got out of hand. With two-thirds of Laos now under communist control, his primary concern was a major cross border communist offensive against the Thai countryside.

     With the SEATO Headquarters located in Bangkok, Premier Sarit called on them to stage a large scale training exercise as a show of solidarity and force, as well as providing his tough modern-equipped 85,000 man Army- training in large scale counterinsurgency tactics.

     1LT Pitt Watts, III, Commanding Officer, Headquarters Detachment, and thirty-three enlisted men from Alpha and Bravo Companies were deployed to Thailand in support of Exercise TIDAL WAVE.

     When the platoon landed at Korat, Thailand it was moved to nearby Camp Friendship 157 miles to the Northeast of the Thai capital of Bangkok, just outside the city of Nakhon Rachasmia (also know as Korat or Khorat City) adjoining the Korat air base to join a squad of U.S. Army airborne MP's that previously deployed from the island of Okinawa, Japan.

     Also stationed at the camp for the exercise was a group of Royal New Zealand (Kiwi) Air Force Police from Tengan Air Force Base, Singapore, then a self-governing protectorate of the British Commonwealth.

     At Camp Friendship vehicles were issued to the U.S. MP’s, however, none contained radios or bumper markings identifying them as military police. Subsequently, a formal military police station was established and a joint town patrol began with the airborne MP's and the New Zealand 'Kiwis'.

     Several primitive beer-bars quickly sprang up outside the camp that presented the patrols some challenges. On one night a disorderly U.S. paratrooper taken into custody refused to ride in a patrol vehicle. He insisted on double-timing back to camp. On another day, a Thai Pedicab driver handed over approximately $100 that a drunk U.S. soldier lost in his vehicle. The Battalion MP's had to convince the driver to accept a token reward.

     One particular mission assigned by the camp commander was rather controversial. He ordered the MP's to frisk all the soldiers who were on liberty. The operation resulted in many flip-knives, daggers and even medical scalpels being confiscated. Fortunately, the legality of the searches did not become an issue because no one was apprehended or cited.

     On weekends, several MP's drove down to Bangkok for joint patrols with Royal Thai Police and other allied SEATO MP's. It was common then to see a colorful group of 'lawmen' strolling the streets or checking a nightspot. The joint patrols consisted of: a Thai Police Officer, a Royal Thai MP, an American MP, a Kiwi MP, a Filipino MP and sometimes others.

     Once or twice Royal Thai Crime Suppression officers would escort the Battalion MP's on backstage tours of local nightclubs. That weekend duty was a choice detail.”  SGT (MSG Retired) Otto H. Uebel, B Company, 1963.

28 June For the fourth straight year the battalion received the coveted 4th Army Command Superior STRAC Unit Award (certificate and streamer) for the training year of 1962 under General Orders No. 33, Headquarters 4th U.S. Army, 16 April 1963. The Superior Award cited a rating of 95.3 representing the highest numerical rating ever posted by the battalion.

     At a formal ceremony held before 700 combat-uniformed troops at Fowler Field, the award was presented by LG Thomas W. Dunn, III Corps and Fort Hood commander to five units of the 2nd Armored Division and the battalion, one of four non-divisional units of Fort Hood.

21 July

     Prior to the start of the massive maneuvers the battalion had its hands full simply directing traffic. They guided the entire 2nd Infantry Division into its maneuver area, as well as III Corps, 1st Logistical Command and elements of the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division.

     During the maneuvers the battalion started out as a tactical unit of III Corps under LTC Joseph Verde, the Corps Deputy Provost Marshal. But after the first week the need for military police assistance from surrounding civilian communities became known. Responding to the civil authorities requests for help, the battalion was soon maintaining MP desks in six cities and towns, and performing various police jobs.

Exact Date Unknown Alpha Company won third place and $10.00 cash prize in the September Green Thumb Contest of the post units “best kept landscaping” competition judged by the Killeen, Castle Heights and Seed & Weed Garden Clubs.

4 September Three senior NCO’s of Alpha Company qualified with the 45 cal. pistol. SFC Louis A. Digrugilliers as Expert, 1SG Bryce M. Brower as Sharpshooter, and SSG Charles J. Massey as Marksman. All were awarded their badge and pistol bar on 23 September.

5 September CPT Donald J. Landrum and 2LT David Wharton of Alpha Company qualified as Sharpshooter with the 45 cal. pistol and were awarded their badge and pistol bar on 23 September.

9-10-11 September Twenty NCOs and enlisted men of Bravo Company qualified as Marksman with the M-1 rifle and were awarded their badge and rifle bar on 23 September.

18 September CPT Donald J. Landrum of Alpha Company recognized the following members of his company as the high scorers (Expert) for the competitive firing of the M-1 rifle and 45 cal. pistol. Rifle: PFCs Daniel R. Fisher 244, SP/4 Helmut Bauer 232, PVT David Lee Boone 228, SP/4 Wayne Rodney Carter 224 and SP/4 Ordon O. Tummons 222. Pistol: PVT David Lee Boone 399, SP/4 Jerry W. Murray 391, PFC Richard A. Burke 390, PVT Gary E. Rippstein 389 and PVT Robert H. Kirkendall 367.

19 September LTC Milburn was temporarily assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia for reasons not stated. MAJ Karl E. Nestler, the battalion executive officer, became the interim commander pending the colonel’s return scheduled for 12 October.

1-4 October

7 October The battalion’s HQ & HQ Detachment flag football team finished their regular season by winning first place in the American League Division of the Fort Hood and III Corps Flag Football League with a record of 7-1. They went on to play for the league championship but failed to place high enough in the competition to move to further post-season play.

11 October The battalion was identified as the current operational check point unit in a report and public news release issued on a three-week old continuing program to curb speeding on Fort Hood through the use of the new S-5 Radarmatic Radar Machine assisted check points. The MP patrols have issued 100 speeding tickets by targeting dangerous stretches of road, play areas of children, housing areas and open roadways. The program was scheduled to continue indefinitely.

22 October

     In the early morning of October 22, 1963, soldiers of the 2nd Armored Division (Iron Deuce) lumbered up with their gear and individual weapons to an assembly of large cargo aircraft from the Military Air Transportation Service (MATS). Their destination was Germany. In over 72 hours, the division, two artillery battalions, and assorted transportation units from around the country made the day-long flight across the Atlantic. An air strike force went as well. Altogether, the planes made over 200 flights, ferrying some 15,000 personnel and nearly 500 tons of equipment, one quarter of which belonged to the Army. It was the largest trans-oceanic Army – Air Force deployment even made. The operation was a test as well as demonstration of the United States capability for rapid reinforcement of NATO forces any where in the world.

23 October The battalion was reorganized (less Charlie Company, active less personnel and equipment) as an Army Battalion, under TO&E 19-35E, 1961, TO&E 300-21, 300-24 and 300-25 apply with a strength of 18 officers, 5 warrant officers and 435 enlisted personnel.

24 October  SP/4 John H. Fisher arrived from the 287th MP Company (Berlin, Germany) and was assigned to Bravo Company. PFC Richard A. Burke of Alpha Company was reassigned to HQ & HQ Detachment. PVT’s David Lee Boone, Robert H. Kirkendall, Jackson A. Lively, Thomas A. Patterson and Gary E. Ribbstein were awarded their military police MOS. SP/5 Carl W. Carlson and CPL William O. Marcell of the 103rd MP Detachment (stockade) 720th MP Battalion, were awarded a Sharpshooters Badge with carbine bar.

1 November The battalion was assigned readiness status Category C1: the unit possesses the required resources and is trained to undertake the full wartime mission.

2 November In South Vietnam, President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu were killed in a military coup. His regime accused of corruption, ineptitude in fighting a strong war effort against the communist and pro-Catholic and anti-Buddhist favoritism drew opposition from several quarters.

     The U.S. government, believing he was too weak a leader to carry on the war effort, stepped aside and allowed the coup to take place, but did not sanction the killings.

     The leader of the military coup, General Dùóng Van Minh, a staunch anti-communist an enthusiastic and dedicated military leader, replaced Diem and held the office under the title of Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Committee (junta), until he went into exile 8 February 1964.

12 November Once again LTC Milburn was temporarily assigned, this time to U.S. Army, Provisional Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), South Korea. MAJ Nestler, again became the interim commander pending the colonels expected return on 6 February 1964.

15 November The battalion was reorganized, less Charlie Company (active without personnel or equipment) under TO&E 19-35E, TO&E 300-21, 300-24 and 300-25 applied with a strength of eighteen officers, five warrant officers, and 435 enlisted men

6 December  PVT’s David Lee Boone and Robert H. Kirkendall of Alpha Company were promoted to Private 1st Class. SFC Russell C. Lecy and SSG Gary S. Hanks were replaced as members of the Alpha Company Unit Fund Council by SFC Arthur L. Marken and SSG Winbern D. Rebmann.