Regardless of where you are, there should be particular rules and you will buy, referring to particularly so for the a battle region, where virtually people are equipped as well as on border. The Military Police within the Vietnam had work accomplish, and then we made it happen on good all of our element. But MPs within the Vietnam performed way more than just patrol the fresh new locations and you will, as it is frequently illustrated in the video clips, harass its other GIs. This was an element of the monster logistical problem off promoting several regarding tens and thousands of troops which have materiel, food and supplies in the midst of a hostile guerrilla enemy. Such as Iraq now, convoys is prime targets, and the ones securing are usually working in one of several war’s extremely unsafe and you may deadly issues.
The new V-100 is actually a beneficial wheeled armored auto utilized for defense objectives, generally to own powering convoys. Their three-people crew contains the rider, the latest gunner therefore the radiotelephone operator (RTO). Situated because of the Cadillac, the brand new V-100 had an enthusiastic intercom program utilized in the radio, and each member of the auto you’ll keep in touch with the others instead of providing over the net. The crew master, a position one to rotated centered on seniority, was at charges out-of precisely what the V-100 performed, however, immediately after a staff is together for some time anyone fairly better understood how to handle it and that was requested.
The newest 66th MP Organization had one of the biggest patrol section DГјbendorf escort into the Vietnam. Also the V-100 Platoon, the company work town patrols, shelter duty and you can whichever other goal emerged. I went convoys west on your way QL- 19, south to the QL-step 1 so you can Tuy Hoa, and you can north into the QL-step one so you can Bong Son otherwise LZ English.
When i surely got to Vietnam within the late 1969, We inserted the fresh new 66th Army Police Organization within Phu Tai and you may are assigned to the newest V-100 Platoon, in which We invested the majority of my personal concert tour into the escort obligations
To specify who ran when and where, the newest V-100s went by amounts and you will turned otherwise state-of-the-art each day. The vehicles have been designated away from 7-Zero to eight-7. The road supervisor is actually 7-Eight, which generally resided towards QL-19. The newest V-100 designated Eight-Zero getting a specific go out went along to LZ English. When a good automobile’s number are 7-Three, it opened the trail and additionally Seven-Five. Beginning the road requisite one or two V-100s to be sure every links was in fact open and you may that which you are safe to the basic convoy to start. New westbound convoys have been designated “Friscos” in addition to eastbounds “The new Yorks.” Amount 7-Five obtained the initial convoy on course western and you can brought up the rear of that certain convoy. Once they introduced a specific checkpoint, Eight-Half dozen carry out pick-up another convoy that formed. Among V-100s was designated to run a convoy in order to Tuy Hoa, that was a-two-day focus on.
Auto Eight-Around three do then escort the initial eastbound convoy, and after that manage come back to the company to pull maintenance to the vehicle throughout your day
Our very own road planner run from 1 of your Korean firebases to the QL-19 on the phone call sign Zero. As soon as we have got to a bridge, i entitled Zero and you can advertised the brand new bridge number we were crossing; No after that knew when you should begin the initial convoy. I constantly radioed No as soon as we achieved the bot – tom of A keen Khe Admission, and you can once more when we topped the admission.
Whenever a beneficial convoy come, the frontrunner, who had been usually in the lead vehicles, titled No and you will provided your a list of precisely what the convoy contains. No after that assigned the brand new convoy, constantly also known as a Charlie Victor, a number. The first convoy throughout the day are Charlie Victor step 1, and the like. The fresh new convoy frontrunner referred to as in all the fresh checkpoints passed by leading of convoy. Per bridge is designated, and the bottom and better each and every citation was in fact entitled inside the in the event that side while the butt introduced this new checkpoints. By using these amounts, Zero in turn maintained telecommunications for the Sky Push, dustoff and other support that might be called for.