Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-083

Nixon phone call with Moorer on Vietnam War and Military strategy

Wednesday, April 26, 1972 · 2:08 PM–2:12 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)Conversation023-083 on Tape 23StartWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 2:08 PMEndWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 2:12 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-083 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted Admiral Thomas H. Moorer regarding the escalation of bombing campaigns in North Vietnam, specifically authorizing strikes up to Haiphong. The President expressed significant concern regarding the vulnerability of U.S. destroyers to Soviet-supplied gunboats and shore-based rocket attacks. Additionally, Moorer updated Nixon on the deployment schedule of the USS Newport News and the strategic use of destroyers to provide fire support for South Vietnamese ground troops in Military Region Two.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Mr. President, Admiral Morrison.
I just wanted to check one thing with you.
I just was talking to Henry about that business of going above the 40th parallel, which is fine.
As a matter of fact, you can go all the way to Haiphong if you could hit anything up there.
But the important thing I really want to be checking on is to...
I was concerned that those sticks...
gunboats that the Russians have.
You know, they sank that destroyer of the Israelis.
And also they got a Pakistani, and I just want to be sure our guys are well prepared for that, are they?
Yes, sir.
We're aware of this.
Do they have sticks down there?
We haven't seen any, Mr. President.
We thought at one time they might have such a thing, a shore base, but I'm sure if they had such a thing, we would have seen it in light of the very heavy activity.
As you know, there was one rocket fired that went over the top of one of the destroyers, but we feel fairly certain it was not a...
A guided rocket.
It was simply a 122-millimeter rocket fired from a small boat.
But we'll watch that, sir.
Very carefully.
I assure you.
Sure.
Of course, if they happen to hit one of our destroyers, then we'd really go after them.
But nevertheless, we just don't want it to happen.
Let me ask, what is the situation with regard to the—what about the Newport News?
When does it get out there?
Well, it gets out there about the 6th, I believe, sir.
Right.
Yes, sir.
It hasn't come all the way from Norfolk, you know.
Right.
Well, it'll do a good job.
Yes, sir.
And we have some, I was telling Henry, we have some destroyers coming in during the next week, and we need to add to that.
And I think that they can be useful down there also in Military Region 2, you know, at the, around Highway 19 comes across from Hawaii 2.
Uh-huh.
And we're going to put some down there.
What can they do there?
Well, they can work with the...
of South Vietnamese troops ashore, sir.
And they can hit, there's parts of the roads they can hit there?
Hit the roads, and they, well, they can also support the troops during their close contact.
Good, good, good.
As long as they're in range, of course.
Right.
Okay, fine.
Thank you, sir.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone from 2:08 pm to 2:12 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-083 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-83

Date: April 26, 1972
Time: 2:08-2:12 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Thomas H. Moorer.

     Vietnam
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -Bombing
               -Limits
               -Extension
          -Gunboats
               -Successes
               -Preparation by US Navy
          -Shore bases in North Vietnam
               -Rockets
                     -Type
                     -Attack on destroyers
          -Newport News
               -Arrival time
          -US Navy
               -Destroyers
                     -Military Region Two
                     -Operations
                           -South Vietnamese troop support

Also recorded on April 26, 1972

  • 023-080 1:10 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.
  • 023-081 1:45 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:45 pm to 2:07 pm.
  • 333-016 1:45 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:45 pm to 2:07 pm.
  • 023-082 2:07 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:07 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 333-017 2:07 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 2:07 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 333-018 2:08 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:08 pm to 2:12 pm.
  • 333-019 2:12 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:12 pm and 3:43 pm.
  • 333-020 2:12 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:12 pm and 3:43 pm.

All 57 conversations from April 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-083, April 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-083 (accessed October 9, 2026).