No matter where you are, there has to be specific laws and you will acquisition, referring to especially true when you look at the a conflict area, in which practically men and women are armed and on line. The newest Military Cops during the Vietnam got employment doing, and we also made it happen to your good all of our function. However, MPs inside Vietnam did so much more than just patrol the brand new towns and cities and you will, as well as frequently portrayed during the clips, harass the fellow GIs. This was area of the monster logistical problem off promoting several out of tens of thousands of troops with materiel, food and offers in the course of a hostile guerrilla opponent. As in Iraq today, convoys try perfect plans, and people securing are usually in among the war’s really unsafe and deadly activities.
Brand new V-100 try a good wheeled armored automobile useful cover objectives, generally to own running convoys. Its about three-man team consisted of new rider, brand new gunner as well as the radiotelephone operator (RTO). Created from the Cadillac, the fresh new V-100 got a keen intercom program included in the radio, and every member of the auto you’ll talk to the others without giving over the net. The newest crew captain, work one turned considering seniority, was in charges of precisely what the V-100 performed, but shortly after a team try along with her for a while visitors pretty well realized what to do and you can that which was questioned.
The brand new 66th MP Providers got one of the largest patrol components from inside the Vietnam. Along with the V-100 Platoon, the firm operate urban area patrols, protection obligation and you can almost any most other goal emerged. I went convoys west on the road QL- 19, southern towards QL-step one in order to Tuy Hoa, and you may northern into the QL-1 so you’re able to Bong Child or LZ English.
When i reached Vietnam into the later 1969, I registered brand new 66th Military Cops Monthey escorts Team during the Phu Tai and you will try allotted to the V-100 Platoon, in which I invested most of my personal tour towards the escort obligation
To help you specify whom ran where and when, the latest V-100s went by number and you will rotated otherwise complex each and every day. The vehicles have been numbered out-of Seven-Zero to 8-Seven. The road manager is Eight-Eight, which existed to the QL-19. The new V-100 designated Seven-No having a certain date went to LZ English. Whenever a beneficial vehicle’s amount try Seven-Around three, they unsealed the trail and 7-Five. Starting the street needed a couple of V-100s to ensure the bridges were open and you can that which you was safe to your first convoy to start. The fresh new westbound convoys had been designated “Friscos” plus the eastbounds “The newest Yorks.” Count 7-Five obtained the first convoy lead western and you will elevated the rear of that certain convoy. When they introduced a certain checkpoint, Eight-Six would grab another convoy one designed. Among the many V-100s is actually designated to run a good convoy to help you Tuy Hoa, which had been a two-big date manage.
Automobile 7-About three do up coming escort the original eastbound convoy, thereafter perform go back to the business to get repairs to the auto for the rest of the day
The road coordinator operated from 1 of your own Korean firebases on QL-19 with the name indication No. When we reached a connection, i called No and you will claimed this new connection number we had been crossing; No after that realized when to initiate the original convoy. We always radioed Zero when we reached brand new robot – tom of the A keen Khe Pass, and you can once again once we topped new violation.
Whenever a beneficial convoy come, its chief, who was usually at the forefront car, entitled Zero and offered your a listing of just what convoy contains. Zero then tasked new convoy, constantly referred to as a great Charlie Victor, several. The first convoy of the day are Charlie Winner step 1, and stuff like that. New convoy frontrunner also called in all the fresh checkpoints passed by the front of convoy. Per connection try designated, plus the base as well as the most readily useful of each and every solution have been titled inside in the event the front side together with butt passed new checkpoints. By using these quantity, No therefore managed interaction towards the Sky Force, dustoff or other service that might be called for.