When you find yourself almost every other perform out-of an MP popped up from time to time, my personal employment would be to escort convoys
No matter where you’re, there has to be particular rules and you will acquisition, and this refers to particularly true for the a battle area, where nearly everyone is equipped as well as on line. This new Armed forces Police from inside the Vietnam had employment to do, therefore achieved it into better of all of our ability. However, MPs when you look at the Vietnam performed way more than patrol the new metropolises and you can, as well as oftentimes depicted inside video clips, harass the other GIs. It was area of the giant logistical difficulty from supplying several off tens and thousands of soldiers with materiel, as well as offers amid a hostile guerrilla challenger. Like in Iraq today, convoys are perfect aim, and the ones securing are usually doing work in among war’s most hazardous and you will deadly factors.
The brand new V-100 try a great wheeled armored vehicle used for defense missions, mostly for powering convoys. Its three-man crew consisted of the rider, the newest gunner as well as the radiotelephone agent (RTO). Depending by Cadillac, the latest V-100 got a keen intercom program integrated into the air, and each person in the automobile you may talk to others versus giving over the net. The newest team captain, a career you to definitely rotated according to seniority, was a student in charges of precisely what the V-100 did, however, shortly after a team is with her for a time men and women quite well realized what direction to go and you can what was questioned.
New 66th MP Organization had one of the biggest patrol section during the Vietnam. Along with the V-100 Platoon, the firm run area patrols, protection obligation and you can any type of most other objective came up. I went convoys west on the way QL- 19, southern area for the QL-step 1 to Tuy Hoa, and northern with the QL-step one in order to Bong Young man or LZ English.
While i got to Vietnam in later 1969, We joined the new 66th Armed forces Police Business at Phu Tai and is allotted to new V-100 Platoon, in which We spent much of my journey toward escort responsibility
In order to designate exactly who went where and when, the brand new V-100s went by number and you will turned otherwise cutting-edge every day. The vehicles was designated out-of Seven-No to eight-Eight. The road manager is 7-Seven, which stayed with the QL-19. This new V-100 designated 7-Zero getting a specific go out went along to LZ English. When a car’s amount is Seven-About three, it started the street along with 7-Five. Opening the road expected a couple V-100s to ensure the bridges was indeed open and you will everything is secure into earliest convoy to begin with. The brand new westbound convoys were designated “Friscos” additionally the eastbounds “Brand new Yorks.” Matter 7-Four acquired the first convoy headed west and increased the rear of that certain convoy. Once they enacted a particular checkpoint, Eight-Six do pick-up next convoy you to definitely formed. Among V-100s is appointed to run an effective convoy to help you Tuy Hoa, that has been a-two-time work with.
Auto 7-Around three create up coming escort the initial eastbound convoy, and perform go back to the business to get repair towards automobile for the remainder of the afternoon
The road planner work from of the Korean firebases towards QL-19 on the call signal Zero. Once we got to a bridge, i called No and you will said this new link amount we had been crossing; No up coming realized when to begin the initial convoy. We usually radioed No whenever we reached the newest bot – tom of the A keen Khe Ticket, and once more whenever we topped the fresh ticket.
When an effective convoy already been, their leader, who had been constantly leading the way vehicle, called Zero and you may gave your a listing of what the convoy contains. Zero upcoming tasked the convoy, always described as a beneficial Charlie Winner, a variety. The first convoy throughout the day is Charlie Victor 1, and stuff like that. The fresh new convoy frontrunner also known as in every the brand new checkpoints passed escorts in Brugg by leading of your convoy. For each bridge was numbered, and base plus the ideal of each and every ticket have been called in if the front in addition to rear enacted the latest checkpoints. With these numbers, Zero in turn managed interaction to the Sky Force, dustoff and other help that will be necessary.