~ 720th Military Police Battalion Vietnam History Project ~
May 1970 ~ Battalion Timeline

This Page Last Updated   14 May 2018
Regardless of MOS if you recognize or participated in any of the events listed on this Timeline page and would like to contribute any information, personal stories, documents, media articles, photographs, or, if you can provide information on any events not listed, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager Tom Watson at the Email Link provided on this page. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Battalion history and always welcomed here.
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Note: During the Vietnam war the 146th was attached to the Battalion briefly in 1970 for administrative and logistical support when its members worked at Vung Tau, and the MACV Headquarters on Long Binh Post.
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      All major theater activities, stateside incidents, or Cold War and Vietnam War events that affected the 720th MP Battalion’s force allocations, training, operations, deployments, morale or history are shown in Italic blue American Typewriter font.
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     At the start of the month Battalion HQ Detachment, its organic letter companies and the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) were headquartered subordinate to the 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, III Corps Tactical Zone, Bien Hoa Province, Long Binh Post, South Vietnam.

     The 188th Company was headquartered at Vinh Long, in Vinh Long Provence, the 22nd Provost Marshal Detachment at Can Tho in Phong Dinh Province, both in IV Corps Tactical Zone, Mekong Delta Region, and the 146th MP Platoon in Vung Tau, Phuoc Tuy Province, III Corps Tactical Zone.
18th MP
Brigade
89th MP
Group
720th MP
Battalion
May
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     The Battalion's authorized strength at the start of the month was, 29 officers, 2 warrant officers, and 930 enlisted men. Their assigned strength was, 28 officers, 2 warrant officers, and 965 enlisted men.

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Exact Dates Unknown - TAOR  "In mid-May while our squad was en route to our night ambush position, where we had occasion to cross a shallow river from an open field into the jungle. Our point man led us across a narrow plank and several of our squad walked across without consequence. On that day, it was my turn to carry the large field radio on my back in addition to my rifle, extra ammo clips, and two crossed bandoleers of M60 ammo.

     As I walked across the plank I lost my balance and fell approximately 7 feet into the shallow water; and, considering all the weight that I was carrying, immediately became stuck in the mud, thigh deep. Just moments later, as some of my squad was figuring out how to dislodge me, the enemy began to fire from the cover of jungle vegetation. I was very afraid, since I was stuck in the mud and could not move. Our squad returned fire and the firefight quickly abated." 
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"There was another incident where our squad’s drop off point had been changed at the last minute. Instead of being transported up the Buong River by boat, we were driven by truck and we hiked in from the opposite direction [Highway QL-15]. Several days later, we were told that the reason for the change was that the Army was spraying a defoliant (Agent Orange) on the vegetation along the river. I heard that it was hazardous to breathe the chemical or come in contact with the vegetation that had been sprayed. Our squad had missions in that same area throughout the next months. I became very concerned about the potential affect that had on me. That I might have somehow been exposed greatly added to my stress."  SP/4 Michael J. Ambrose, “Ambi,” B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Long Binh Post, Vietnam, March-September 1970.
SP/4 Ambrose
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History Project Managers Note: There may have been other applications of Agent Orange, however, the only official Battalion record of defoliant use in the TAOR I have been able to locate occurred in the summer of 1969. It was applied on all foliage along the back-river banks and streams by a U.S. Navy LST, with B Company MP’s onboard for security.
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     With the emphasis on MACV transitioning into the now intensified Vietnamization Program, the 18th MP Brigade Newspaper "The Roundup," published a two page article with photographs on B Company and their activities under Operation STABILIZE in their May Edition.
If anyone can provide the date(s) the reporter accompanied the platoon for the article, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
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212th MP Company - Tay Ninh Detachment  A squad of VC sappers attacked the 25th Infantry Division Tay Ninh base camp ammunition supply depot perimeter under the cover of a 122mm rocket attack on the base.

     SP/4’s John Cranmer and Angel Ojeda of the 1st Platoon, Team "B" 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) Detachment were walking depot perimeter with their K9's. Even as the enemy rockets passed overhead as a part of the panned division to the ground attack, their K9's ignored the noise and following explosions and immediately detected the sent of the sapper team outside the wire. Both MP's opened fire towards the nearby tree line where they drew return small arms and RPG fire, and were quickly joined by supporting fire from troops in the 25th Division perimeter bunkers.

     The assault on the depot was deterred, and responding helicopter gun ships swept the area causing the enemy to finally withdraw.

25th
Infantry
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If anyone can date this attack, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
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1 May
13th US Campaign begins, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, 1 May-30 June 1970.
Operation ROCKCRUSHER

Cambodian Border  Approximately six MPs from each B Company ambush platoon were assigned temporary duty (TDY) to the 25th MP Company, 25th Infantry Division along the Cambodian border at Katum and in Tay Ninh and Cu Chi to supplement the units manpower during Operation ROCKCRUSHER, a major cross border incursion into Cambodia.

     The B Company MPs did not participate directly in the cross border operation, instead they performed gate security, Discipline, Law and Order Patrol and compound security at all three detachments. They also oversaw convoy grouping and security pending departure into Cambodia, but did not escort them across the border. The duty lasted approximately 3 to 4 weeks.
25th
Infantry
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2 May
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212th MP Company  1LT Theodore Rhodes of the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) departed.

Vung Tau Detachment  CPT Kenneth A. Esner of HQ & HQ Detachment was assigned as Provost Marshal of the Vung Tau Area.
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3 May
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212th MP Company  1LT  John F. White is assigned as Platoon Leader of the 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog).
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11 May
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Bearcat Detachment  CPT Rafael Cortes-Dapana of A Company departed as Deputy Provost Marshal of the Bearcat Detachment.
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18 May
The "El Cid" Incident

River Patrol-TAOR  1100 hours, B Company-458th U.S. Army Transportation Company (PBR) joint River Patrol PBR’s responded to assist Army Tug Boat the El Cid (ST2122) of the 5th Transportation Company (Heavy Boat), 159th Transportation Battalion, 4th Transportation Command, 1st Logistical Command, USARV that was ambushed on the Dong Nai River just south of the Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility.

     Members of the US Army/Vietnamese civilian tug crew were seriously wounded when the Viet Cong ambushed it from the riverbank with two 2.5" rockets that struck the wheelhouse. The PBR’s provided security and assisted with the air evacuation of the wounded crewmen.
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HQ Detachment  MAJ Herbert E. Langendorff, Jr. the Battalion Executive Officer departed.
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21 May
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Vung Tau Detachment  CPT Kenneth A. Eusner is assigned as the new Assistant Provost Marshal of the Vung Tau Area.
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