The Worst Part Is I don't Remember Their Names I believe it was April 1970 and warm. We left the A Company, 720th MP Battalion Headquarters at Long Binh Post early in the morning with a crew of three, myself and two others in a V-100. Our mission was to proceed along Highway 316 across the Newport Bridge, pick up Route 1 West and proceed to Chu Chi Base camp and pick up, escort and protect a small convoy of 5 supply trucks, drive along Route 1 until it branches to Route 22, then branch off North along a wide red dirt road to Dau Tieng Base camp at the foot of Nui Ba Dinh or the Black Virgin Mountain. This is a trip I have made on several other occasions.
Dau Tieng was a small base camp controlled by the 25th Infantry Division. It was located in III Corps Tactical Zone of War Zone C and basically was a stronghold for the Vietcong. After traveling an uneventful 40 miles, We pulled into the main gate at Cu Chi Basecamp and parked our armored car and awaited orders to move out.
We were assigned to assist the 25th Infantry MP's to provide extra protection for the small run to Dau Tieng because most of their escort vehicles went to protect the larger convoy to Tay Ninh close to the Cambodian border. I remember it was getting to be a warm day as we sat on our front hatch covers awaiting orders.
After about 15 minutes, a Lieutenant from the 25th MP Company drove up in a jeep and asked if we were the escort vehicle to Dau Tieng. I informed him we were and asked where the trucks were located and where he wanted us in the convoy line.
The officer stated that it would not be necessary to go along today as they had extra support assigned. I instructed him politely that we were under company orders to go if there were 5 or more trucks and on this particular day there were exactly 5 trucks ready to go. He again stated that we were not necessary and ordered us back to Long Binh. I requested permission to call our Company Commander to approve his counter order. I radioed back to our company at Long Binh and explained what the Lieutenant has told us. Our Captain instructed us to come back to Long Binh and let the 25th escort the convoy if that was their wish. With that confirmation, I asked the Lieutenant one more time if he was sure he wanted us to go back to Long Binh. He again reaffirmed the order and instructed us to go back and take the day off. In leaving I felt a little uneasy as if I wasn't doing my job but we went back.
Upon arrival at our company headquarters back in Long Binh, we were met by our company commander who instructed us to return the armored car back to the motor pool and take the day off.
It seemed like most of the day had passed when our company commander appeared in the company dayroom and informed us that the Dau Tieng convoy, escorted by the 25th Division MP's had been ambushed on the dirt road going to Dau Tieng. A little shocked, we asked hesitantly how bad they got it. He replied that all in the convoy were lost including the MP escort.
The Viet Cong had planted command detonated mines on the road. They blew the lead truck then the MP escort vehicle behind. Once the road was blocked the Cong opened up with small arms fire and finished off the remaining soldiers.
In my experience in the III Corps area, except for the armored car escort, most small convoys were not heavily protected, just a few gun jeeps. I do not recall how I felt at the time except for the fact I was a little shaken that there were no survivors. Today I still bear a sense of guilt that I had not gone on the convoy to help. If I had only been more insistent, maybe, just maybe, the outcome might have been different and there might have been a few less names on the Wall.
The worst part is I don't remember their names. SP/4 Charles A. Smith, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1969 to November 1970.
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18th Bde.
720th
4th ID 
1st ID