| The Communists end the Tet New Years Cease Fire with an attack on Long Binh Post |
Communist forces end the Tet cease fire with attacks on Saigon and 115
other cities. The attacks take place throughout South Vietnam, killing 453 US
soldiers in the first week, 336 in the second and 351 in the third,
ending on 22 March 1969.
 0200 Hours, Communist Post Tet Offensive Begins, Long Binh Post Attacked During the Post Tet Offensive attack on Long Binh Post, the Battalion established a historical first.
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It became the first time in the history of the United States Armed Forces that air, artillery, armor and infantry units were under the direct operational control of, and supported a Military Police Company, fighting as infantry, against the 274th Viet Cong (VC) Regiment of the 5th North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Division. |
 274th VC |
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 5th NVA |
History Project Managers Notes: Many military historians of the Vietnam War have credited the defense of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon by the 716th MP Battalion during the Tet New Years Offensive of 1968 as being the reason General William Westmorland redesignated the MP Corps from its role as a Combat Service element to a Combat Support element on 1 July 1968.
What has been overlooked or completely ignored is the 720th MP Battalion began direct combat engagements against communist forces from September 1967 through September 1970 under Operation Stabilize in the Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility.
The 720th was the first MP Battalion in the history of the U.S. Military to be assigned a purely infantry mission, a year before the 716th was credited with the embassy engagement.
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 720th MP Battalion 22 square mile TAOR (red) |
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The battle started at 0200 hours and lasted well into the day. Two enemy Battalions attacked the southern perimeter of Long Binh Post through the 720th MP Battalion, Tactical Area of Responsibility (TAOR). Five Ambush Teams of B Company MP's fought outside the post perimeter in the Battalion Tactical Area Of Responsibility while the other organic companies, part of the Battalion Reaction Force, along with the 615th MP Company, supported the southern perimeter bunkers along Highway 317 and fought along the interior perimeter.
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To appropriately credit all units involved in the events of that morning I have separated the battle into its specific geographic locations.
Since there are no Battalion S3 Daily Activity Logs available for 1969, the information listed in these accounts was obtained from various after action reports, media accounts and interviews of the personnel involved. As more of these personal interviews are conducted additional details will be added to these pages.
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Interviews, official documents, media accounts and photographs of the pre and post attack status of individual units and personnel. Use the Email link at the top of this page to contact the History Project Manager. |
As a result of the night long attack
on the southern perimeter of Long Binh Post the 720th MP Battalion
received operational control of B and D Company, 1st Battalion,
12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade and elements of B Troop,
1st Battalion, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. |
 199th |
 11th |
Both units supported the B Company
ambush teams in the field during a mop up sweep of the Long Binh Post
southern perimeter after daylight.
Over 130 enemy dead and several POW's were recovered from the battle fields. Seven MP's from B Company were wounded.
To give B Company time to rest and resupply, a volunteer
group of C Company MP's were utilized to provide security within the
Tactical Area of Responsibility during the evening of 23 February into
the morning hours of 24 February 1969.
President Nixon Launches Bombing Campaign
When the enemy launched another nationwide offensive on February 23,
1969, President Nixon decided North Vietnam had no intention accepting
a peace, and he ordered a secret two-month bombing offensive by B-52s
on the Cambodian sanctuaries. |
720th
18th Bde. 
