~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association Vietnam History Project ~
Vinh Long Detachment
212th MP Company (Sentry Dog)
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This Page Last Updated ~ 13 February 2012
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18th MP
Brigade
89th MP
Group
720th MP
Battalion
At the start of the year company HQ Detachment was headquartered subordinate to the 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, III Corps Tactical Zone, Bien Hoa Provence, Long Binh Post,  South Vietnam.
 

Vinh Long Located in the center of the Mekong River Plains, between the Tien Giang and Hau Giang Rivers, 60 miles south west of Saigon in IV Corps Tactical Zone later called Military Region IV. The primary roadways passing through Vinh Long were QL-4 south west to Can Tho and North East to My Tho. Secondary roadways were LTL-7A and LTL-8A.

        Some of the U.S. Military units that operated out of Vinh Long were, 214th Aviation Battalion consisting of 175th AMC "Outlaws," 199th AHC "Swamp Fox," 114th AHC "Knights of the Air," 150th CHFM Transportation Detachment, 28th RRA Signal Detachment, 83rd Medical Detachment, 62nd Aviation Company, 29th Detachment-11th Air Postal Squadron, 36th Engineer Battalion, 96th Signal Detachment, 544th Transportation, 611th Transportation, 292nd Financial Section, and 7/1 Cavalry, Troop C. The U.S. Navy also had elements situated in the Mekong River that supported River Patrol PBR, and other naval operations within the Mekong Delta.
 
1970 ~ 1972
 
        During 1970-1971 The 212th MP Company Vinh Long Detachment was responsible for manning five night perimeter post for the Vinh Long Airfield as well as internal security for the compound ammunition supply depot and a logistical supply depot.
 

        After Guard Mount the MP's would report to their assigned post at 2300 hours (11:00PM) each night and finished their tour at sunrise. They worked 13 to 14 days before getting a day off. If they were sick or injured they would be assigned to the orderly room to monitor the guard post walki- talkies.

        Each perimeter post had two guard towers and two bunkers and were approximately 100 yards long. The MP's and their K9 partners walked back and forth with the dog to guard that area during hours of darkness.

        The perimeter posts were only on two sides of the compound protecting the helicopter's. One of those sides was a free fire zone and the other faced a "friendly" village and return fire on that side was not allowed.

        Their rules of engagement did not allow them to fire their weapons unless they were within a very short distance from enemy, and they were not allowed to unleash their dogs since they had been trained to attack and there was fear that they might attack other U.S. Forces by mistake.
Post-1
Post-2
Post-3
Post-4
Post-5
        The Vinh Long compound main gate was manned by members of the Air Force Security Police.
        The detachment was also called upon to provide physical security for the U.S. Navy landing crafts that unloaded food stocks and other supplies to the compound from the river docks onto trucks that delivered them to the Vinh Long compound facilities.
        Unique to the logistical supply depot, the handlers were provided with gas mask when they went on duty. It was not because the Viet Cong were suspected of having the capability to use tear gas or other chemical agents but, because they were concerned that some inventive U.S. service men might try using tear gas grenades to chase away the guards to pilfer the beer stocks contained in the depot.
        The enlisted handlers had their own billet and the detachment Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) maintained his quarters in a separate room in the detachment Orderly Room building.
        The detachment kennel building for the Sentry Dogs also contained a dipping station and Veterinarian Technician (Vet Tech) Clinic area.
        There was also a fenced enclosed training yard used to run the dogs and their handlers through regularly scheduled drills.

        Because the dogs were trained for attack, the 212th compound within the Vinh Long compound was off limits to all other personnel unless invited by a member of the unit.

        Since the teams worked nights and slept during the morning and early afternoon hours, they missed the main meal of the day, so breakfast was their big meal.

        In the afternoon there was generally some form of work detail within the compound assigned to the men. If not they groomed their dogs, and trained them on a regular basis to keep their abilities sharp.
        The MP's were allowed off compound at any time, and many visited the villages off post. They would go downtown frequently for food but rarely ventured out at night. The detachment day room also provided a place to relax during the day and especially if one managed to get a night off.
        Since the beer that was available in their area was pretty well picked over by the time the Navy made delivery, the MP's would take a deuce and a half truck to Soc Trang once a month for beer. During the beer run they would put one of their dogs on the truck to keep the local kids from jumping on the truck and steeling the beer when it stopped.
Miscellaneous Photographs
 Detachment BBQ.
 SP/4 Willie Neal and K9 Ladd.
 SP/4 Stephen W. Terry and K9 Sergeant 25X1.
 SP/4's Luther Potter and "Red" Gillern.
 Shortimer's party for SP/4 Sierecki.
 SP/4's Willoughby, Sierecki, Gillern, Terry, and Parker.
 SP/4's Neal and Terry with their K9's.
 Preparing for Guard Mount.
 SP/4's Terry and Neal.
 K9 Sergeant 25X1.
 Detachment Kennels.
 Detachment Kennels, Orderly Room, and billets.
 Vet Tech Dave Hannum.
 
Visitors Reflections

122611   Saw your web site brings back memories. I was with the 292nd Finance Section at Vinh Long. I remember an incident during my tour from 12/69 to 12/70 that happen outside the Enlisted Mens Club. It was around 2000hrs I came out of the club and was greeted by 2 members of the 212th MPs with dogs. They told me to get back inside the club confused I stood there and they yelled at me again to get back in so I took a glance down the road and saw a group of black soldiers on one side of the mps and a group of white soldiers on the other side it was like a gunfight from a cowboy movie only there were more than one shooter at each end of the street it was a group of men instead and they were all armed with M16s so I went back inside the club those 2 mps were brave in my book.

Sgt Sheppard, 292nd Finance Section, Vinh Long
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