Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-099

Nixon phone call with Sanbuchi on Ralph A. Sambuchi and Washington Star

Sunday, November 14, 1971 · 10:04 PM–10:05 PM ET · White House Telephone · 53 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Sanbuchi, Ralph A.Conversation014-099 on Tape 14 (tape position 03:16:31–03:17:24)StartSunday, November 14, 1971 at 10:04 PMEndSunday, November 14, 1971 at 10:05 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-099 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this call to personally commend Captain Ralph A. Sambuchi after reading a favorable article about him in the Washington Star. The President expressed his profound gratitude for Sambuchi's service and sacrifices, highlighting the inspiration the Captain's high morale provided to the administration. This brief interaction served as a gesture of moral support and public recognition for a wounded veteran.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Yes, sir.
Captain, I understand you're on leave.
Yes, sir, I am.
Well, that's great.
I just wanted you to know that I read about you in Star, and I was so very proud that we have a fellow that served this country, has done so much and sacrificed so much, and...
still has his morale, and you do a lot for all of us by the way you've come through all this.
Well, you've been doing an awful lot for us, too, sir.
Well, I just wish I could do more, and I wish I could be in your place, but believe me, that's a great story, and you just keep fighting.
Yes, sir, I will.
And we'll do the same.
Yes, sir.
We're not going to let you down.
Right, sir.
Okay, good luck.
Bye.

NARA Description

On November 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Ralph A. Sanbuchi talked on the telephone from 10:04 pm to 10:05 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-099 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-99

Date: November 14, 1971
Time: 10:04 pm - 10:05 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Ralph A. Sambuchi

The President talked with Sambuchi.

     Washington Star story regarding Sambuchi
         -Location

Also recorded on November 15, 1971

  • 014-090 8:58 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:58 pm.
  • 014-093 9:19 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and George E. Allen talked on the telephone from 9:19 pm to 9:29 pm.
  • 014-094 9:30 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and John H. Terry talked on the telephone from 9:30 pm to 9:31 pm.
  • 014-095 9:45 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:45 pm.
  • 014-096 9:46 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:46 pm.
  • 014-097 9:46 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:46 pm and 9:56 pm.
  • 014-098 9:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Willis O. Preston, Jr. talked on the telephone from 9:56 pm to 9:58 pm.
  • 014-100 10:37 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Donald Smith talked on the telephone from 10:37 pm to 10:39 pm.

All 57 conversations from November 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-099, November 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-099 (accessed October 23, 2026).