History of the 720th Military Police Batt – Paperback Set

Softcover Set
History of the 720th Military Police Battalion Book II

Volume I

Follow the new generation of Soldiers of the Gauntlet who came of age during the turbulent and divisive years of the 1960s and ’70s during their preparation, deployment, and service in South Vietnam.

Using official records and the personal accounts of battalion veterans of all ranks and ages, it takes you on a chronological tour from their first day in-country until their last.

Learn of the history of the Vietnamese people, its military, civil police, and the ever-elusive enemy, the Allies, sub-ordinate units, geography, and areas of operation.

In South Vietnam, the tactical approach to war changed drastically with the new concept of the nonlinear battlefield. The Military Police took the initiative and through its speed and mobility, the tenacity and bravery of its troops, it quickly learned to adapt to the new style of counterinsurgency hit-and-run guerilla warfare by an always-elusive enemy.

You will finally see the big picture of how the blood, sweat, tears, and toils of the Soldiers of the Gauntlet and their subordinate units affected the overall war effort.

Learn how the military police of the Vietnam era were rewarded for their efforts when the Military Police Corps was finally designated by the Department of the Army as a combat support as well as service branch.

Volume II

The story of the three—year history of a traditional Army—level Military Police battalion assigned the previously unheard of mission responsibility of light infantry counter-insurgency warfare in South Vietnam. This was the first time in the history of the United States Armed Forces that a military police battalion was tasked with such a mission and placed in direct operation control of a Tactical Area Of Responsibility (TAOR) and authority for the direct control of infantry, air, armor, and artillery elements when called upon for support. At the time there was no precedent for it.

Long Binh Post was the new home for the USARV Headquarters complex, and a dedicated proactive U.S. unit was needed to deny the enemy access to its traditional southern approach routes to Bien Hoa and eliminate their close-­in strike capability of Long Binh Post and USARV.

USARV tasked the mission to the 18th Military Police Brigade, and they assigned it to the 89th Military Police Group’s go-to battalion, the 720th.

Regardless of unit, if you are a Military Police veteran of the Vietnam era, it will finally provide you and the Military Police Corps with a clear and concise documentation of a history of service to be proud of.