Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 18 › Conversation 018-081

Haldeman & Hughes on Camp David and Presidential travel

Thursday, January 13, 1972 · 2:47 PM–3:09 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Hughes, James D. ("Don")Conversation018-081 on Tape 18 (tape position 03:50:00–03:51:45)StartThursday, January 13, 1972 at 2:47 PMEndThursday, January 13, 1972 at 3:09 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-081 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman and Major General James D. Hughes discussed the feasibility of transporting the President to Camp David despite severe weather conditions in Maryland. Hughes reported that low visibility and icing risks currently grounded all helicopter and aircraft operations near the retreat. They agreed to maintain an airplane on five-minute alert while awaiting a potential improvement in the weather before Haldeman consulted the President on whether to proceed.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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It's really bad up in Hagerstown, Frederick, and Thurmont.
They're all down well below minimums.
I've got a weather aircraft on the way up there now.
There's a possibility that it may go up sufficiently to get into Thurmont at 4 o'clock.
So what I did was I pre-positioned the airplane over there.
It's on a five-minute strip alert over it in a costume.
But
Uh, it's just doubtful, Bob, and one thing we don't want to mess around with a helicopter or anything that would do with icing or anything like that.
Yeah, how close can you get if you can't get in a thermo?
We can't get even out of dollars, it's bad.
So, you know, we're not going to gain anything, really.
Frederick is the closest one that we may get any money on, save any driving time at all.
Frederick.
Frederick, and that's below minimums.
So that, uh...
We just can't make any appreciable head wave of a helicopter at this time.
I've got an airplane on its way up in that whole area to recce it now.
But at four, it could clear in an hour.
At four, what time is it?
It's almost three.
At four, it's supposed, thermon is supposed to go up at four.
Thermon should go up at four.
But no, don't bet on it.
Okay.
This stuff is just like glue.
It's all in here.
Okay.
It's holding up by those mounds.
Yeah.
All right.
So you're going to hold off?
Well, let me check with the president and see.
Yeah, but I've got an airplane that will be ready for him in five minutes.
Okay.
So if we can get a break, we can go now.
Okay.
All right?
Yep.
You bet.
Bye.

NARA Description

On January 13, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-081 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 18-81

Date: January 13, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with Maj. Gen. James D. Hughes.

[See Conversation No. 314-1E]

     Bad weather in Camp David area
          -Dangers
          -Hagerstown, Frederick, Thurmont, Maryland
          -Airplane
               -Anacostia
          -Helicopter
          -Dulles Airport
          -Prospects

Also recorded on January 13, 1972

  • 018-077 2:34 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:45 pm.
  • 314-001 2:34 PM · 1 hr 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, James D. ("Don") Hughes, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:34 pm to 3:41 pm.
  • 018-078 2:45 PM · 46 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone at 2:45 pm.
  • 018-079 2:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:45 pm.
  • 018-080 2:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:45 pm to 2:47 pm.
  • 018-082 2:47 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm.
  • 018-083 2:47 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm.
  • 018-084 3:09 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:09 pm and 3:50 pm.

All 54 conversations from January 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 018-081, January 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-081 (accessed September 24, 2026).