CONTENTS
Music - The Clash "I Fought the Law
545th Military Police Company
1st Cavalry Division, 545th MP Platoon and Arctic MP Battalion
Military Police Stations
And
Provost Marshal Operations Facilities
A Pictorial History
Compiled by CPT Sam Reinert
As of January 26, 2012
“The Provost must have a horse allowed him and some soldiers to attend him, and all the rest commanded to obey or assist, or else the service will suffer; for he is but one man and must correct many and therefore he cannot be beloved. And he must be riding from one garrison to another to see the soldiers do not outrage nor scathe the country.”
There is a great deal of written history concerning the 545th Military Police Company and the 1st Cavalry Division Provost Marshals, but until now there has been no pictorial history of the actual physical structures and facilities utilized by this organization. With the assistance of the many veterans of the 545th Military Police Company who gave so willingly of their time and precious photographs, this document has been made possible.
You will note that when on Post Camp and Station Duty, the 545th MP Company had some rather nice MP Stations, and even in combat managed to organize some rather professional looking MP stations (as in Phouc Vinh, Vietnam), but they could operate in temporary and crude conditions as in Song Be as well.
Fort Bliss, Texas
The old Ft Bliss Guard House with two Provost Sergeants and their Guard Detail on the porch. This Guard House was constructed in 1893 and both the post guard and the Provost Sergeants utilized this structure. There were confinement cells in the basement.
If you look close enough you can see the old Cavalry Dragoon Shako helmets on the Sergeants
Old Ft Bliss barracks on the left, Division Headquarters on the right and Staff offices (which included the PM’s office) w/BOQ upstairs in the center circa 1914
Australia
The 1st Cavalry Division Provost Marshals office was located within the Division Headquarters compound located at Strathpine, Queensland, Australia in a tent similar to the one pictured above. The exact location is unknown at this time.
It may have been one of the tents in the Hqs. compound shown above.
Pacific Theatre, WW II
Pacific Islands
Initially, the Division Provost Marshal had his office in one of the many troop ships and once the Division landed on Los Negros Island and began island hopping there was never enough time to set up even a semi-permanent MP Station or PMO until the unit the hit Manila. The PMO moved with the Division CP and oftentimes found itself under fire. In one instance Japanese stragglers were discovered hiding in the Div CP within feet of the PMO and two of the Division MP’s were wounded taking them prisoner.
Japan
Office of the PM was located in the Division Hqs Bldg at Camp Drake
1st Cav MP Platoon Orderly Room and PMO Operations building at Camp Drake, Japan
1946 - 1949
MP Provisional Platoon Orderly Room and PMO Operations Bldg. at Camp Drake, Japan
545th MP Co Guard Mount at Camp Drake, Japan 1949
CPL Reich (a member of our association) on left, CPL Willoeft
on right and unknown Desk SGT at the Sapporo MP Station, Japan 1952
The PMO was located within the Division Hqs at Camp McGill, Japan 1949/50
PMO Operations, Camp Schimm, Sendia, Japan 1956
545th MP Desk Sergeant Domagaiski at MP Station (pictured above) at Camp Schimm, Sendia, Japan circa 1956
545th MP SFC Purcell briefing VIP’s at the MP Station at Camp Crawford, Japan
SFC Purcell is a member of our association
545th MP Co. Guard Mount in front of the MP Station at Camp Crawford, Japan 1951
545th MP co guard Mount at Camp Crawford, Japan 1952
545th MP Desk at Hardy Barracks, Japan circa 1957
Exterior photo of the 545th MP Station in Sapporo Japan
MP Duty Officer and Desk SGT at Sapporo Japan
Fort Gulick, Panama
MP Station located downtown in the Canal Zone where joint patrols worked to maintain law and order 1955
Fort Gulick Post Headquarters where the Provost Marshal had his office
Getting ready for Guard Mount at Fort Gulick, Panama 1955
Unidentified 545th MP Platoon Desk Sergeant on duty in Panama
545th MP B.W. Shearon on Pier Duty in the Canal Zone 1955
Sp/4 Shearon on foot patrol in an off limits street in Panama 1955
Sp/4 Shearon is a member of our Association
The Navy Shore Patrol and the Marine MP’s often worked joint patrol with us in the Canal Zone
Note the “This Bar is not restricted” sign in the upper left of this photo and the many US civilian POV’s parked in front of it. That is a Civilian Panamanian Policeman standing in front of the bar and they often worked joint patrols with us as well
Typical back alley way where MP’s walked a beat on night patrol in the Canal Zone in 1955. This is probably a lady of the night and her pimp
Korea
545th MP Station at Camp Howze, Korea
Unidentified 545th Desk Sgt at Camp Howze MP Desk in Korea
Joint I Corps and 545th MP Co MP Station in Korea
545th MP Station, Yong-Ju-Gol, Korea, vicinity of Camp Custer, 1963
545th MP Co Orderly Room and MP Opns, Camp Custer, Korea circa 1963
545th MP Desk Operation with interpreter at Camp Custer, Korea circa 1963
Getting ready for another Pay Day night shift at the 545th MP Station, Yong Ju Gol, Korea 1964
Just outside Camp Custer in the ville
Pfc DeWitt, Sgt Rucker & Pfc Simmons, MP Station, Yong Ju Gol, Korea, 64
Vietnam
This is the Joint MP Station entrance at An Khe circa 1965. The 545th MP Co worked out of this station for a while upon arrival in country until they established their own MP Station later on
Joint MP Station at Tay Ninh, RVN where the 545th and the 24th MP Companies along with the ARVN MP’s maintained joint patrols circa 1969
545th MP Station and PMO, LZ Two Bits, RVN circa 1967
CID Office Hooch, Phouc Vinh, Vietnam circa 1969
545th SSG Sheperd at PMO Opns tent, LZ Two Bits, RVN 1967
SSG Sheperd is a member of our association
545th MP SSG Sheperd, MP Station, Camp Radcliff, RVN, circa 1967.
SSG Sheperd is a member of our Association
545th Guard Mount in front of MP Station and PMO, Phouc Vinh, RVN, circa 1969
SSG Carlos Miranda, Shift Supervisor (photo far left w/his back to the camera).
SSG Miranda is a member of our association
545th Guard Mount at Phouc Vinh, RVN, 1969 with the Orderly Room in the background and the Co Hqs bunker SSG Miranda is the shift supervisor (and a member of our association) being briefed by the MPDO
545th MP Company Orderly Room and MP Opns Center, Phouc Vinh RVN 1969 Note the Cargo chute in the background used for shade in the company area
CW2 Whitacre (far right) and his CID crew in front of CID office at Phouc Vinh, RVN 1969
545th MP Station and PMO, Phouc Vinh, RVN, 1969
The boys in the back room at the 1st Cav PMO Shop in Phouc Vinh, RVN 1969
SFC Spruill is 2nd from left in top row who is a member of our association.
He later became 545th 1SG at Ft Hood
Chief Pachecko and his CID crew at Phouc Vinh, RVN
(The Chief is holding the beer can)
545th MP Station at LZ Buttons, Song Be RVN 1969
MP Station Sign at Song Be, RVN 1969
SFC Spurill (who was later to become the 1SG of the 545th MP Co at Ft Hood) on duty at the very crude MP Desk at Song Be, RVN 1969. 1SG Spruill is a member of our association.
Interior of 545th MP Co Station at Phouc Vinh, Vietnam 1969
It should be noted that the entire MP Station, MP Desk and all the painting was constructed by 545th MP’s Note the mahogany paneling behind the desk which was rip cut from one tree with a chain saw and planed with beer bottle glass. Yours truly with his back to the camera. Note: It had to be after 1800 hrs as we all had our sleeves rolled down for mosquito control
545th MP Station at Quan Loi in the old Rubber Plantation area
Circa 1968
Mama San in the Bien Hoa PM Shop 1969
Since the 1st Cav had units at Bear Cat, the 545th MP Co provided a 6 man squad to operate out of the 720th MP BN MP station at that location along with the Royal Thai Army Military Police. That is SGT Richard Adams in the center of the photo who was a 545th MP Co MP Investigator in 1971
SGT Richard Adams, 545th MP on the Desk at Bear, RVN 1970 – 1971
Vung Tau was an in country R&R Center in Vietnam and all of the allied troops sent members of their organizations as well as entire units to this facility for R&R stand downs. The English, Australian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and American Military Police had MPs from their units working out of this MP Station and that included 545th MP’s from the 1st Cav – photo circa 1970
SGT Baker of the 545th MP Co speaking with the Desk SGT at Bear Cat 1970
Tay Ninh, MP Station where the 25th MP Co and the 545th MP Company worked joint patrols out of in 1969
Fort Chaffee
Interior of Joint Police Operations Bldg at Ft Chaffee circa 1990 – 1991 where Federal FPS agents and 545th MP’s worked a joint mission
545th MP Co Orderly Room and MP Opns Center at Ft Chaffee, Arkansas circa 1980
Fort Drum, New York
545th MP Co CP and MP Opns Center during Operation Blue Northern circa 1982
Desert Storm
PMO Opns clerk and radio operator SPC Babb after a long night
SPC Babb is a member of our association
SGM Mason and PMO Crew at Assembly Area Horse 1990
LTC Lupo (seated center), Div PM and his crew during Desert Storm, Iraq circa 1990
PMO Operations tent in Desert Storm
Iraq
PMO Opns Center, Baghdad, Iraq
Joint Police Operations Center in Baghdad, Iraq
PMO and his staff
Left to right – MAJ R. Guieb, LTC R. Byrd and SGM M. Green
This was the “Field Forward” office on wheels
Fort Hood, Texas
Unidentified 545th MP Co Desk Sergeant on duty at the Ft Hood MP Station circa 1976
SFC Randal Hardy, PMO Opns Sgt 1975
1st Cav 545th MP Company Desk at Ft Hood MP Station circa 1974
III Corps MP Station at Fort Hood in 1975 – 1976 where the 545th MP’s worked jointly with other MP units on post
545th CO’s jeep and driver in front of the Orderly Room and MP Opns Center circa 1983
Another shot of the 545th Orderly Room and Opns Center circa 1984
The last 545th Orderly Room and MP Opns Center at Ft Hood 2005
545th MP Co Desk Sgt on the phone a the MP Station at Ft Hood 1976
545th CPL S. Sargent in front of the MP Station at Ft Hood circa 1986
The current PMO is located within the Division Hqs Bldg pictured above
545th Guard Mount in front of the barracks 1983
545th PMO Crew circa 1970 – 1971
Many of you will remember these cards
Out of Service for a meal in a restaurant just north of Fort Hood in Gatesville 1975
Off Post Road patrols at this time were often out of radio range so had to call in via land line every hour or so and often did this from such establishments
SGT Pennewell on the Dest at Ft Hood 1976
The very last photo of the last 545th Orderly Room and unit Guideon before the units’ inactivation at Fort Hood in 2005
Fort Richardson, Alaska
Fort Richardson MP Station
545th MPs at Guard Mount in front of the Joint MP Station/Dept of Emergency Services at Fort Richardson, Alaska 2008
545th MPs during the Patrol Briefing at the Joint MP Station at Fort Richardson, Alaska 2008
This historical portrayal of PMO Operations facilities and MP Stations of the 1st Cavalry Division would not be possible without all the great contributions of veteran 545th MP’s who have given so freely of their time and rare photographs. Should anyone viewing this document wish to submit additions or make corrections, kindly forward them to -
CPT Sam Reinert
545th MP Company Association
Richmond, Indiana 47374
765-962-4627 phone & FAX
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