Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 13 › Conversation 013-029

Nixon phone call with Eisenhower on Presidential health inquiry

Friday, October 29, 1971 · 2:39 PM–2:41 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Eisenhower, Mamie G.Conversation013-029 on Tape 13 (tape position 01:04:10–01:07:20)StartFriday, October 29, 1971 at 2:39 PMEndFriday, October 29, 1971 at 2:41 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 013-029 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Mamie Eisenhower to check on her recovery after she was hospitalized at Brooke General Hospital in San Antonio for bronchial complications. They discussed the quality of her medical care and her nostalgic return to the military post where she and Dwight D. Eisenhower once lived. Nixon offered the use of a government Jet Star to assist with her travel arrangements, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring she received the best possible care during her convalescence.

  • Mamie Eisenhower
  • Presidential health inquiry
  • Brooke General Hospital
  • Medical care
  • Logistics

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President?
Yeah.
Yes, I'm sorry, sir.
I have Mrs. Mamie Eisner for you.
Oh, fine.
Uh-huh.
There you are.
Hello.
Hi.
Well, I just called to see how you're doing.
Well, I'll tell you, Mr. President, I think I'm much better.
Uh-huh.
They're keeping up the antibiotics today.
Yeah.
But he says that I've got to stay in here for several more days.
Oh.
But I am in the Johnson suite, and I'm just as comfortable as... Are you in Austin?
No, I'm in San Antonio.
San Antonio.
I got to Fort Sam Houston.
I got to Brooke General.
Oh, I see.
I knew it was in...
I see.
Well, I was very lucky.
Well, that's fine.
I left Dallas a day early because I was feeling so wretchedly.
And I couldn't get my breath.
So when I got here, it was the same sort of bronchial thing that I had, you know, in Europe.
Oh, I see.
And the same as in Walter Reed.
Oh, yeah.
If I hadn't gotten here that day, I probably would have had pneumonia.
Boy.
So I think we've got a pretty well lick.
Well, the cops told me about it.
You had the fluid in your lungs and in your legs.
Yes, they've had a terrible time trying to get that out.
Yeah, my God.
So it scared the living daylights out of me, I can tell you.
Well, tell me how is the, but they're nice there, aren't they, the people?
Wonderful, Mr. President.
They couldn't be nicer.
Isn't that great?
Well, it was good you were near a place where you had some good folks.
Well, you see, that's one reason.
I know when I get to the Iron Post, my folks will take care of me.
Yeah, your folks.
That's right.
That's right.
It is an Army post, isn't it?
Oh, this is a tremendous place.
And this is where I myself, you know, our first quarters, you know.
Is that right?
This is our first station.
Yes, yes.
He was here in Pearl Harbor.
Yeah.
Right to Washington.
Yeah, yeah.
So this is old stamping ground.
Right.
Well, you're going to go on by train now, huh?
Well, we're trying.
They're trying to get a fix so I can't.
I see.
I don't think they quite have it made yet.
You wouldn't want to take a plane.
I could have that little jet star take you out.
Oh, I'd have close before we hit the first water.
All right.
Okay.
All right.
Do you mind if I call you Dick once, please?
That's all right.
Yeah, I got you.
Well, okay.
I don't want to put your neck in the noose on anything down here, you see.
Yeah.
So that anything we do, we want to do...
Well, that's all right.
Well, there's no problem on that at all.
You're entitled to it.
We want you to have the best.
Yeah, we want you to have the best.
They'll give you the best, too.
I know, I know.
Good, good.
They couldn't be.
Well, you tell all those nurses and doctors I call, will you?
Oh, will I ever.
Okay.
I will.
We'll see you a week from Saturday.
That's right.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's longer than that.
No, it's about a month.
A month from Saturday.
I mean, yeah.
And I'm trying to get out there hook or crook because that's the one thing I've started for.
You'll make it.
You'll make it.
Good.
Thank you very much.
You sound great.
Bye.
I'm improving.
Oh, sure.
I can tell.
But they're going to keep me here until they're sure.
You stay till they tell you.
Okay.
Well, I've accepted.
Bye.
Bye-bye.

NARA Description

On October 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Mamie G. Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 2:39 pm to 2:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 013-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 013-029

Date: October 29, 1971
Time: 2:39 pm - 2:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Mamie G.D. Eisenhower.

[See Conversation No. 302-11]

     Mrs. Eisenhower's health
          -Mrs. Eisenhower's schedule
          -Prior health
          -Dr. Walter R. Tkach's conversation with President
          -Hospital personnel characterized

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

     Dwight D. Eisenhower
         -1st quarters

     Mrs. Eisenhower's schedule
          -Jet Star airplane

     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

     Mrs. Eisenhower's schedule

Also recorded on October 29, 1971

  • 302-011 2:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mamie G. Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:39 pm to 2:41 pm.
  • 013-030 2:41 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:41 pm and 2:42 pm.
  • 302-012 2:41 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:41 pm and 2:42 pm.
  • 013-031 2:42 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 2:42 pm to 2:50 pm.
  • 302-013 2:42 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Henry A. Kissinger, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:42 pm to 2:50 pm.
  • 013-032 2:58 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 2:58 pm to 2:59 pm.
  • 013-033 2:59 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:59 pm and 3:06 pm.
  • 302-014 3:05 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:05 pm and 3:06 pm.

All 65 conversations from October 29, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 013-029, October 29, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/013-029 (accessed September 30, 2026).