Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-073
Nixon phone call with Moorer on Vietnam War and Air strikes
Tuesday, April 4, 1972 · 9:24 AM–9:28 AM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Admiral Thomas Moorer discuss ongoing air operations and naval bombardment efforts in Vietnam, specifically focusing on strikes within the B-3 area and the DMZ. The President expresses his desire for maximum military effort, demanding that all available Seventh Fleet cruisers and destroyers be deployed to the region immediately. Moorer is instructed to disregard psychological operations and provide a detailed report on the naval deployment to Henry Kissinger by 10:00 a.m. to facilitate upcoming strategic plans.
- Vietnam War
- Air strikes
- Naval bombardment
- Seventh Fleet
- B-3 area
- Military operations
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Hello.
Good morning, Mr. President.
Hi, how are you?
I noticed that you only got off 126 missions yesterday, which I understand because of weather.
Well, you got six more, 132, is that right?
It's over 200, sir.
Let me ask you a question.
I don't want to reply in bad weather, but where is that report that I was supposed to have here at 915 with regard to whether or not you could not...
and without having those planes just sit on the deck, hit in the B-3 area where they have that immense concentration.
What about that?
Well, they have been hitting, sir, in the B-3 area.
Well, how about taking everything that flies while this weather is bad and socking it in there for a while again, giving them a massive punch?
You see, you've got the planes sitting on the deck now.
No, sir.
The planes are operating.
I think we had about 500 sorties over the last 24 hours, sir.
They're operating along the whole GMN Trail and the B-3 front and along the down in Military Region 3.
And we actually had over 200 in Military Region 1 and just across the DMZ.
As you know, some of them got through a hole and...
destroyed the bridge over the Ben Hai River and then came down the road and knocked out three tanks.
I saw that.
By visible.
But I think that he's made the report that they made, sir, they have a hundred and that was cut off at a certain time.
And I telephoned out there.
I sent you instructions yesterday that you wanted the maximum effort.
Yeah, I understand.
I don't want anybody to fly in bad weather and just to drop it out in the boondocks.
But my point is, you can't hit there, then hit...
You know, from reading the morning report, you say that you expect that the next blow is going to come in the B-3 area.
Is that not correct?
That's right, yes, sir.
And they're working hard.
Are we working that as hard as we can?
Yes, sir.
There's nothing more we can do?
We don't have any aircraft on the deck, let me assure you.
Now, point two.
Have you carried out the order that I gave last night, 12 hours ago, with regard to using naval gunfire on the road
above the DMZ in North Vietnam.
Yes, sir.
I did that right away.
Now, can the naval gunfire reach that road?
Yes, sir.
It can?
Yes, sir.
All right.
And that will be done.
Now, what additional ships are available to get out there?
I mean, do you have a few that you could send from Singapore and other places?
Yes, sir.
We sent four additional destroyers, and I sent another cruiser.
Well, if you got any, how long would it take anything to get from Pearl?
Is that where most of them are?
Well, I think we can use the ones in the western Pacific.
In fact, they're already there.
I started this action as soon as I told you.
How many could you get there, Tom?
How many?
I mean, could you get a significant number?
Because I have a more important assignment that I'll have Henry give to you early.
Yes, sir.
We could certainly get more there from the 7th Fleet.
It would take...
You know, about eight days or so to get them prepared.
Eight days.
But from the 7th Fleet, we can get them within anywhere from four hours to four days.
Yeah, yeah.
And that includes, what, cruisers, destroyers?
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
But right at this moment, there are eight on the lines.
Four south, I told them to put four south of the empty and four north.
And they are, but you can't get, couldn't you get more than that?
Yes, sir, we can get to take a few...
Well, order everything that is used.
Incidentally, forget the PSYOP and all that crap.
It doesn't mean anything anyway.
And get all the cruisers and destroyers in the 7th Fleet in that area.
We have another purpose for them.
And get in there as fast as you can.
And give Henry a report by 10 o'clock, because I have a reason I have to have him there, okay?
And he'll let you know, okay?
Yes, sir.
Thank you.
NARA Description
On April 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone from 9:24 am to 9:28 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-073 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 22-73
Date: April 4, 1972
Time: 9:24 am - 9:28 am
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer.
[See Conversation No. 701-2C]
Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Number
-Weather
-Report for the President
-B-3 Area
-Instructions
-Current operations
-Number of sorties
-Ho Chi Minh Trail
-Number
-B-3 area
-Military Region Three
-Military Region One
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Ben Hai River bridge
-The President’s instructions
-Morning report
-B-3 area
-Naval bombardment
-Instructions
-DMZ
-Range of naval weapons
-Additional ships
-Singapore
-Destroyers
-Cruiser
-Pearl Harbor
-Western Pacific
-Number of ships
-The President’s forthcoming instructions
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Seventh Fleet
-Timetable
-Cruisers and destroyers
-Deployment
-DMZ
-The President’s instructions
-Psychological operations
-Cruisers and destroyers
-Seventh Fleet
-Deployment
-Report to Kissinger
-Timing of reportAlso recorded on April 4, 1972
- 701-001 8:31 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:31 am and 9:05 am.
- 701-002 9:05 AM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:05 am to 9:43 am.
- 022-072 9:08 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:08 am and 9:24 am.
- 701-003 9:44 AM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:44 am to 10:08 am.
- 701-004 10:08 AM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:08 am and 10:09 am.
- 701-005 10:09 AM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Robert S. Ingersoll, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:09 am to 10:43 am.
- 701-006 10:43 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:45 am.
- 701-007 10:43 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:45 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 022-073, April 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-073 (accessed October 11, 2026).