CONTENTS
Music - Creedence Clearwater Revival "Run Through the Jungle"
545th Military Police Company
1st Cavalry Division, Arctic MP BN and 793rd MP BN
A Pictorial History
Combat Operations
As of January 26, 2012
Although the 1st Cavalry Division did not participate in World War I, many of the famous line Regiments that were later to become integrated into the First Team patrolled the border between Mexico and the United States during this period of time. These Regiments brought with them a fine history of accomplishment, tradition and Espirit de corps when they joined the division. Although the 545th MP Company did not exist during this period of time and did not join the Division until 1939, it would soon gain a reputation of its own which would earn it the name “First Team’s Finest” The 545th MP Company excelled at Post Camp and Station duties throughout the history of the unit, but like any other Division MP Company was heavily involved in combat operations from World War II until its deactivation at Fort Hood, Texas in October of 2005 and earned the title “The most highly decorated Military Police Company in the US Army” It will be some time – if ever – that another unit takes that title from them. The following is a pictorial history of these combat activities:
Pacific Theatre
General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur on his flag ship observing his beloved MP Platoon, 1st Cavalry Division storm the beach at Los Negros Island and secure it for the rest of the division. At the personal direction of General MacArthur, the MP Platoon, Hqs Troop, 1st Cav Div and elements of the 8th Engineers often went ashore first in many of the beach landings. Due to their tenacity and success at securing these beaches the MP Platoon had the honor of leading the march of the Occupation Forces into Tokyo.
Dawn barrage at Hyane Harbor Los Negros Island
MP Plt members climbing off the ADP and load onto the LCM for the assault on the beach at Los Negros Island
Undaunted the Cav MP's storm ashore at Los Negros
Korea
Once again, the 545th MP Company hits the beach, this time in Korea
Ships unloading the 1st Cavalry Division in Korea and the 545th made sure that all offloading units found their way off the beach and headed in the right direction.
545th MP directs unloading on the beach in Korea
545th TCP on the beach in Korea
Another 545th TCP on the beach in Korea
545th TCP giving directions to a convoy commander just off the beach in Korea
545th MP Co POW collection section preparing to cross a bridge in Korea where this unit not only collected and classified POW’s, they fed them and kept them secure while moving them to the rear area – sometimes under fire
A very young PFC Frank Kane manning a TCP in Korea circa 1950
These TCP’s were normally manned by one or two MP’s and were often in the middle of no where and under constant enemy fire.
SGM Kane is a member of our association
545th MP Gerald Rowles on the wing of a downed South African plane in Korea 1950/51
Gerald Rowles is a member of our association
Unidentified 545th MP on TCP duty in Chunchen, North Korea circa 1950
545th MP Co POW collection team somewhere in North Korea
CPT Lee (top left), unknown driver (top right), SSG Charazan (bottom left) and PFC Roger Everhart (bottom right)
MSG Everhart is a member of our association
Destroyed Russian tank somewhere in North Korea
1Lt John W. Haskell and CPL Ernie Augilar and Charlie – their trusty Cavalry steed somewhere in Korea 1950
MAJ Haskell is a member of our association
One of the many 545th POW holding pens in North Korea
Vietnam
1LT Jim Jeanes, 2nd Plt, 545th MP Co (center photo kneeling) at pre operations briefing with Vietnamese National Police Field Force circa 1967
1lt Jeans on route recon vicinity of LZ Two Bits circa 1967
Unidentified 545th MP checking out possible VC Hooch
545th MP Co, 2nd Plt RTO vicinity of LZ Two Bits circa 1967
545th MP’s and National Police Field Force collecting misplaced persons and VC suspects on the beach circa 1967
545th MP Sp/4 Richard Maloney with members of the 222nd NPFF vicinity of LZ English
Richard is a member of our association
Sp/4 Maloney on patrol in armored gun jeep on old French Bridge vicinity of Bong Son RVN 1967
Cordon and Search Operations by a 545th MP near Bong Son RVN
Circa 1967
Assembly at LZ English for Cordon and Search mission - Not even in the boonies yet and everyone had wet feet
Captured NVA shot in the arm by 545th MP’s
Captured VC and NVA with Russian rifle taken by 545th MP Co
Sp/4 Dan O’Hagan at LZ Baldy circa 1967
Dan is a member of our association
VC Village torched by NPFF circa 1967
Vicinity of LZ Two Bits
545th MP’s, CPT Lawhead and SFC Hensley carrying MP Jack Wright who was seriously wounded to the Medievac Chopper at An Lao Valley, RVN. LTC (Ret) Lawhead and SGT Wright are both members of our Association.
News Article
Unidentified 545th MP coaxing Victor Charles out of his tunnel in Vietnam 1967
(A frag grenade – or two - helps with this type of action)
545th MP Co River Patrol in An Lau Valley near Bong Son RVN 1967
SSG Miranda (seated photo – top left) and his convoy escort crew on a coffee break somewhere just outside Song Be RVN. SP/5 Lamentia (with glasses) seated and looking at the camera was the company jokester. Circa 1969 this photo was taken just after repulsing an ambush and they are seated in a mortar crater (old WWII myth – take shelter or a break in an artillery or mortar crater as rounds seldom fall in the same spot twice)
SSG Carlos Miranda is a member of our association
Base Defense Perimeter Bunker at Phouc Vinh (Division Forward FOB) Vietnam 1969
Quite often the convoys to Tay Ninh that the 545th MP Company provided escort to came under attack and we were frequently lucky to call for an air strike and they delivered Napalm instead of HE. I love the smell of Napalm in the morning!!! The VC would normally lay out a linear attack or ambush along the road side and the planes would make a run parallel to the road and fry them all!!! It was not uncommon for our MPs to return from such duty missing eyebrows and all the hair on their arms and look like they had spent too much time on the beach in the sun. Victor Charles soon discovered he could not run from Napalm as it stuck to him no matter where he ran and until he was fried like a crispy critter!! The association has many photos of the results of this action, but they are a bit too gruesome to post in this web site!
Desert Storm
Copy of actual Attack Order personally signed by General Schwarzkopf
1LT Robert Byrd (later to become COL Byrd - Div PM in the next Gulf War), 2nd Platon Leader, 545th MP Co and Iraqi Cache
COL Byrd is the Deputy Commandant of our association
CPT Jeff Harris, CO 545th MP Co
COL Harris is a member of our association
Scud damage
SSG Lloyd P. Kuykendal in assembly area Killeen 1991
Lloyd is a member of our association
Captured Iraqi military vehicles and equipment
1st Cavalry Div Assembly Area Horse 1991
SSG Terry Cashett, 545th MP Co in Iraq
Terry is a member of our association and our Assistant Chaplain as well
LTC Anthony T. Lupo, Provost Marshal 1st Cav in Desert Storm
LTC Lupo is a member of our association
1st Cav Div PM, LTC Lupo (seated center photo) and his staff in Iraq 1991
PMO Radio operator after a long night on duty 545th MP SPC Babb
PMO Operations tent in Desert Storm
SGT Dorr is a member of our Association
Kosovo
1st Cav Hqs at Eagle Base in Kosovo
Patrol enroute to Ugkvic in the Russian Sector
Mass graves and execution sites were found in warehouses in this village
One of the many mass graves discovered in Kosovo
545th on patrol again in Kosovo
War torn area near Camp McGovern in Kosovo
Near Tuzla Main (Eagle Base) SSG Jerry Stanton in foreground
More combat damage in Kosovo
Afghanistan
545th MP’s Aragon and PFC Bova at Bagram Air Base
545th MP’s SPC Vanorder and SGT Harman
545th MP Co company area and detention facilities in Afghanistan
SSG Connors and SFC Sullivan
545th MP’s SGT Rosado and SPC Vanorder at Bagram Air Base
545th MP’s SSG Chovan, SGT Banks, PFC Bova and PFC Howard
Iraq War
545th MP Co night operations in Iraq 2004
Weapons captured by the 545th MP Co in Iraq
More captured weapons in Iraq
Ever watchful 545th MP in Iraq
No caption necessary
Standard IAD crater
545th MP motorized patrol in Baghdad
545th Road Block and check point in Baghdad
545th MP Co gunners SPC Brenneman, SPC Weber, SPC Hammock and SPC Snyder in Baghdad
SGT Hammock is a member of our association
545th MP’s SSG Cook, CPL Boothe and SPC Chovan at the Iraqi police station prior to a mission
SSG Ashcraft showing off his captured chrome plated AK 47 with pearl grip
SSG Ashcraft is a member of our association
545th MP’s SSG Anderson, 2LT Thurman, SGT Bosonac, SGT Hammond and SPC Skinner
Ready for anything!!
If anyone has photos or information to provide for this document, kindly contact the above.
CPT Sam Reinert
Founder
545th MP Co Association
626 1/2 South 9th Street
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA765 962 4627 phone & FAX
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