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A major offensive against drug abuse, distribution, and related black market activities

The Can Tho Detachment duties in 1971 remained the same as those performed at the end of 1970. When detachment manpower permitted the MPs would also pull duty on the ferries that provided transportation access for Highway QL-4 across the Bassac River.

A Day In Can Tho PFC Robert J. Baldwin, 22nd Provost Marshal Office, Can Tho Detachment, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1970 to January 1972.

The was also a brief period of time when a Navy Petty Officer was assigned to the Detachment as an SP (Shore Patrol). He was stationed at the Navy Base at Binh Thuy. He was on the Detachment duty roster but came and went more as the Navy saw fit and was assigned to work the Bien Xi Moi bar district on joint foot patrol with the MPs.

The Bassic River Ferry Assignment SP/4 George F. Long, II, B Company, 22nd Provost Marshal Office, Can Tho Detachment, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, August 1970 to August 1971.

Crime and complaints were very varied, especially in the Ben Xe Moi Street red light district. The street was lined with bars and other commercial outlets, some licensed, some not. Allied and Vietnamese troops as well as civilians had access to a variety of vices. There was no shortage of alcohol, gambling, prostitution, and drugs.

Prostitution Control PFC Robert J. Baldwin, 22nd Provost Marshal Office, Can Tho Detachment, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1970 to January 1972.

Gambling Operations SP/4 George F. Long, II, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Can Tho Detachment, August 1970 to August 1971.

Bar Patrol SP/4 Richard J. Bosmans, B & C Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, April 1971 to January 1972.

< Interpreter nicknamed "Snow"? He worked for the B Company, 720th MP Battalion, Detachment MP’s at Can Tho in 1971. "He was a really nice guy and trustworthy. Always laughing.

He would shout at the civilians or ARVN’s and they would always start doing what we wanted, even though we never had to tell him what we wanted, he would know." Courtesy of SP/4 Richard J. Bosmans, B & C Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, April 1971 to January 1972.

POW Assignment At 3rd Surgical Hospital SP/4 George F. Long, II, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Can Tho Detachment, August 1970 to August 1971.

The Language Barrier SP/4 Richard J. Bosmans, B & C Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, April 1971 to January 1972.

11 April SP/4 Thaddeus Dennis, age 22, from Washington, DC, volunteered on his off duty time to assist the midnight shift in transporting a relief guard from the Can Tho Army Air Field Security Unit, who was on MP OJT, to the 3rd Surgical hospital at Binh Thuy air base to guard a wounded POW. While in route to the hospital the jeep ran off the roadway and overturned. SP/4 Dennis died from his injuries while being transported to the hospital, the relief guard, who was the driver of the jeep was also injured, he eventually recovered.

SP/4 Dennis

31 May MAJ Crispus C. Nix ended his tour as Provost Marshal of IV Corps Tactical Zone, and was replaced by MAJ Jerry E. Jackson.

19 June The Provost Marshals Office (PMO), at Tan An was closed and the personnel and vehicle assets were deployed to the Can Tho Detachment to augment the current strength in preparation for an upcoming campaign against narcotics and marijuana. The operational area of the 716th MP Battalion was expanded to compensate for the loss of the Tan An PMO.

22 June In Preparation for the campaign, the Can Tho Provost Marshal Office strength was augmented by 30 personnel with an overall strength of two officers and eighty enlisted men. The primary mission of the military policemen were to increase discipline, law and order efforts, to act as a reaction force and to conduct combined police raids on Vietnamese establishments as required.

The military police strength was augmented by seventeen Vietrnamese National Policemen, and ten National Policewomen (Canh Sat's), at the entrances to U.S. installations. Combined police patrols were also strengthened and increased, with twenty-one in Can Tho, four in Vinh Long, six in My Tho, two in Long Xuyen and two in Soc Trang.

The Anti Drug Campaign SP/4 George F. Long, II, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, August 1970 to August 1971.

During the operation a total of fourteen combined police raids were conducted within Vietnamese establishments during which the following confiscations and apprehensions of offenders were effected.

July Members of the Vietnamese National Police (Canh Sat's) conducted a public burning of a truck load of seized marijuana in Can Tho. Barricade's were erected and the marijuana stacked and burned under closed control of the Canh Sat's why the passing public watched.

Another drug seizure was made at the Can Tho Army Airfield the same month. Quantities of marijuana, heroin and illegally prescribed drugs, along with assorted drug use paraphernalia was seized.

Also during the month a surprise shutdown of all bases was conducted by the Provost Marshals Office trapping many U.S. Military personnel who were unauthorized to be off post, in the city. The detachment MPs busied themselves in patrolling the city, rounding up the violators and making numerous drug law violation apprehensions. It was also during this time span that a major CID undercover drug investigation was terminated that resulted in additional drug law apprehensions and seizures.

4 July Crackdown Black Marketing Activities The Battalion was required to position one MP at the entrance and exit to the post exchange facilities at Can Tho to insure that only authorized personnel used the exchange and that customers did not abuse their rations privileges.

29 July The small Battalion detachment at Soc Trang was closed and the personnel and equipment were redeployed to the Can Tho Detachment in connection with the stand down activities within that area of IV Corps. Military Police discipline, law and order support to Soc Trang was provided on an on-call basis.

For a day, my desk was a V100 SSG (SFC Ret.) Arthur R. Tiber, 22nd PMO Detachment, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, December 1971 to December 1972.