Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-080

Nixon phone call with Tkach on Military promotion

Wednesday, February 9, 1972 · 8:44 AM–8:45 AM ET · White House Telephone · 44 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Tkach, Walter R.Conversation020-080 on Tape 20 (tape position 02:27:23–02:28:07)StartWednesday, February 9, 1972 at 8:44 AMEndWednesday, February 9, 1972 at 8:45 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-080 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417192841 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Major General Walter R. Tkach to personally inform him that he has signed the paperwork authorizing Tkach's promotion to major general. Tkach expresses surprise at the swiftness of the advancement, as he had originally anticipated the promotion would not occur until the following year. Nixon playfully warns Tkach not to spend the associated pay raise immediately, noting that the bureaucratic process for the salary adjustment may take several months.

Audio

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NARA Description

On February 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone from 8:44 am to 8:45 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-080 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-80

Date: February 9, 1972
Time: 8:44 am - 8:45 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Gen. Walter R. Tkach.

[See Conversation No. 668-9]

     Promotion
         -Timing

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/30/2019.
Segment will remain closed.]
[Personal Returnable]
[020-080-w001]
[Duration: 21s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

I just filed or signed something which made you a major general.
Good God.
So you're all...
So don't spend the money, though.
They tell me it takes months.
I thought it was going to be next year, Mr. President.
Yeah, well, I think it came across my desk.
Well, thank you very kindly.
Thanks a million, sir.
Fine, fine.

Also recorded on February 9, 1972

  • 020-078 8:39 AM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John M. Zwach talked on the telephone from 8:39 am to 8:40 am.
  • 668-007 8:39 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John M. Zwach met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:39 am to 8:40 am.
  • 020-079 8:40 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:40 am and 8:44 am.
  • 668-008 8:40 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:40 am and 8:44 am.
  • 668-009 8:44 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:44 am to 8:45 am.
  • 668-010 8:45 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 9:19 am.
  • 668-011 8:45 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 9:19 am.
  • 668-012 8:45 AM · 1 hr 43 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 10:40 am.

All 47 conversations from February 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-080, February 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417192841). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-080 (accessed November 10, 2026).