Irrespective of where you’re, there has to be particular legislation and you may buy, referring to particularly so inside the a battle region, in which very nearly everyone is armed as well as on line. Brand new Armed forces Police into the Vietnam got work to accomplish, and then we achieved it toward better of the ability. However, MPs in the Vietnam did more than just patrol brand new metropolises and you will, as is so often represented in films, harass their other GIs. It was the main icon logistical challenge of promoting hundreds off tens and thousands of troops having materiel, as well as offers in the course of a hostile guerrilla challenger. As with Iraq today, convoys is actually prime targets, and the ones securing are usually involved in among the many war’s extremely hazardous and you can fatal things.
The V-100 was an effective wheeled armored car useful for cover objectives, mostly to have powering convoys. Its around three-man crew consisted of the rider, the fresh gunner plus the radiotelephone operator (RTO). Created from the Cadillac, the fresh V-100 had an intercom program integrated into the radio, each member of the car you are going to keep in touch with others in the place of shipping around the net. Brand new team chief, work that rotated centered on seniority, was in fees away from exactly what the V-100 did, but immediately after a crew was together for a while men and women rather better knew how to handle it and you may the thing that was asked.
New 66th MP Business got one of the primary patrol components inside the Vietnam. And the V-100 Platoon, the organization operate urban area patrols, safeguards obligation and you can any other mission emerged. I went convoys west on your way QL- 19, south on QL-step one so you’re able to Tuy Hoa, and you may north for the QL-step one so you’re able to Bong Child or LZ English.
Once i surely got to Vietnam inside late 1969, I inserted new 66th Military Police Business within Phu Tai and you will is assigned to brand new V-100 Platoon, where We spent a lot of my journey towards escort duty
In order to specify who went where and when, this new V-100s went by number and you may rotated otherwise complex daily. The vehicles were numbered out of 7-Zero to 8-7. The road supervisor try 7-Eight, which often lived on the QL-19. The fresh V-100 appointed 7-No to own a specific date went to LZ English. Whenever a good vehicle’s matter is actually Seven-About three, they launched the trail and Eight-Five. Beginning the street requisite two V-100s to make certain the links was in fact unlock and you can what you was safer on the earliest convoy first off. The newest westbound convoys was basically appointed “Friscos” and the eastbounds “The new Yorks.” Count 7-Five found the original convoy lead west and increased the rear of that certain convoy. Once they passed a specific checkpoint, Eight-Half dozen create collect the second convoy you to definitely shaped. Among the V-100s are designated to operate good convoy to help you Tuy Hoa, escort Regensburg which was a-two-day focus on.
Auto Seven-Three create following escort the first eastbound convoy, and manage go back to the business to get repairs on the car for the remainder of the afternoon
Our very own path coordinator manage from one of your own Korean firebases on QL-19 on label signal Zero. When we surely got to a link, we named No and you may advertised the newest connection matter we had been crossing; Zero after that understood when to begin the first convoy. I usually radioed Zero once we reached the latest robot – tom of your own An enthusiastic Khe Solution, and you will again as soon as we topped this new violation.
When a convoy started, the commander, who was simply usually in the lead vehicle, entitled No and you will offered your a listing of just what convoy contains. Zero next tasked brand new convoy, constantly called an effective Charlie Victor, a number. The original convoy throughout the day is actually Charlie Victor step 1, and stuff like that. Brand new convoy frontrunner also referred to as in most new checkpoints approved by the front of convoy. Each link is actually designated, and the bottom and the most useful of any violation was indeed titled from inside the in the event the front side plus the buttocks passed new checkpoints. Using these amounts, Zero consequently managed interaction into the Heavens Push, dustoff or other help that could be required.
