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Return To 1970 Index

Last Updated 21 February 2015

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At the start of the month Battalion HQ Detachment, its organic letter companies (minus Bravo Company) 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. Bravo Company was headquartered at Vinh Long, in Vinh Long Province, and the 22nd Provost Marshal Detachment at Can Tho in Phong Dinh Province, both in IV Corps Tactical Zone, Mekong Delta Region.

18th MP Brigade

89th MP Group

720th MP Battalion

Exact Date Unknown  Military Policemen with civilian teaching credentials and common profession and interest from various units within the 18th MP Brigade, recently formed an organization called UTARV or United Teachers of America, Republic of Vietnam. The goal of the ten-man group was to meet monthly to keep themselves informed of new educational methods, and “best” teaching locations stateside while they continued to practice their trade as instructors for the military and on civic action programs in South Vietnam.

     “I was surprised at the number of certified instructor’s now serving as MPs around Long Binh Post. We all have similar interest and will reenter teaching after our Army duty, so it was natural to form this informal, off-duty organization. We discuss where education today is, and where it is going. We keep ourselves informed of what’s new. We want to keep in touch.”  SP/4 Robert A. Underwood, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1970-1971.

Tay Ninh Detachment  The Battalion was reassigned responsibility for discipline, law and order at the 25th Infantry Division Tay Ninh Base Camp.

     CPT Paul B. Hughes is assigned as Battalion S4.

4th Trans. Command

I Field Forces

II Field Forces

18th Eng. Brigade

18th MP Brigade

16th MP Group

97th MP Battalion

89th MP Group

720th MP Battalion

     At the time there were three major port facilities in South Vietnam that were handling large cargo deliveries by ship, Da Nang, Quang Nam Province in MR I, Cam Ranh Bay, Khan Hoa Province in MR II, and Saigon-Newport, Gia Dinh Province in MR III. When a media article of the convoy was first discovered, it immediately raised the question as to why the 4th Transportation Command went to all the trouble it took to schedule a six-day 600 mile round trip ground convoy from Long Binh Post to the Can Ranh Bay facility.

     The initial press release said that in 1968 the convoy run was terminated due to the staggering losses of men and vehicles resulting from enemy action along the route (Highway’s QL-13 and QL-1), yet there were no reference of the early convoys in any Battalion records, or anywhere else in ten years of research on the war.

     With the port facility being one of the largest in-country, the only plausible reason was that MACV wanted to display a successful image of the Vietnamization Program, and to garner some much needed favorable publicity to mitigate the complaints from the antiwar lobby in Washington, DC that it was a failure. This assumption was based partly on the grandiose ceremony held to celebrate its successful conclusion, something that was rare in a war zone. The speculation remained just that until later, when a former member of the Battalion Command staff personally verified that it was a major public relations ploy. However, that in itself doesn’t lessen the professionalism and hard work displayed by those troops who participated in its success.

     The planning stages and commitment of assets for the mission was divided between the escort, staging, and transport commands. Over-flight reconnaissance was conducted along the established route, ground coordination was made with units having operational control of the areas along the route and at the designated remain-overnight sites, plus maintenance and support provisions and positions were established.

     Providing coordination and support were the 4th Transportation Command (Operations Order 100-70) Saigon Support Command, HQ of the I and II Field Forces, 18th Military Police Brigade, 720th MP Battalion, and the 18th Engineer Brigade units in MR II at Dong Ba Thin. Tactical support and coverage for the 600 mile long convoy route was arranged with the I & II Field Forces.

     The 720th provided eighteen MP's from A and C Company, employing three gun-jeeps of C Company, and three V100’s of A Company for the escort crews.

     On 3 October, the convoy departed Long Binh Post at 0600 hours. The vehicles passed through Xuan Loc up into the mountains near Bao Loc and Da Lat out of MR III, into MR II arriving at Can Ranh Bay the afternoon of 4 October.

     On 7 October the return trip started, followed the same route in reverse, and arrived at Long Binh Post at 1500 on 8 October. There were no major incidents, and the convoy was not marred by a single major breakdown. A Combined military police and transportation effort in preparation of equipment, personnel, and briefings of involved units and agencies, provided for a well-executed and successful operation.

Reflection  “I followed the progress of the convoy in an over flight by helicopter with Colonel Proudfoot, the 18th MP Brigade Deputy Commander. On one leg we flew into a heavy fog, and when we came out of it we were just feet from the face of a soaring mountain. I can't tell you what the location was, but I can tell you that it was a pretty scary experience.”  LTC Robert P. Schmitz, (LTC Retired) Commanding Officer, 720th MP Battalion, 30 July 1970-23 January 1971.

LTC Schmitz

     The success of this massive convoy was emphasized with credit given to the “ever improving” situation in the Republic of South Vietnam. At the end of their journey the convoy personnel were welcomed back to Long Binh Post by BG H. B. Gibson, Jr., Commanding General of the Saigon Support Command, and COL Wallace K. Wittwer Commanding Officer of the 18th MP Brigade. All members of the Battalion escort teams were awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service. The convoy was never run again.

Series 681

Series 692

Stateside  During a televised speech to the American public, President Nixon proposes a "standstill" cease-fire in which all troops would stop shooting and remain in place pending a formal peace agreement. Hanoi did not respond.

Battalion Reaction Force  The Battalion Reaction Force was deployed to guard three RMK-BJR sites within the Bien Hoa, Newport Docks area due to a strike by employees at the facilities. RMK-BRJ was a consortium of four large international construction corporations: R-Raymond International; MK-Morrison-Knudson; BR-Brown and Root; J-J.A. Jones Company who were contracted through the Vietnamese and U.S. Military.

     The Reaction Force provided a 24 hour security force from 1800 hours until the relieved at 1800 hours on 29 October. The operation was successful resulting in no loss or damage of government property and no confrontation with the striking employees.

22nd PMO Detachment  CPT Edward F. Robinson the operations officer of the 22nd Provost Marshal Detachment, IV Corps Tactical Zone (Mekong Delta Region) departed the Battalion.