Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 023-083
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 1972 at 2:08 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-083

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello.
[0:02] Mr. President, Admiral Morrison.
[0:04] I just wanted to check one thing with you.
[0:06] I just was talking to Henry about that business of going above the 40th parallel, which is fine.
[0:14] As a matter of fact, you can go all the way to Haiphong if you could hit anything up there.
[0:18] But the important thing I really want to be checking on is to...
[0:24] I was concerned that those sticks...
[0:29] gunboats that the Russians have.
[0:32] You know, they sank that destroyer of the Israelis.
[0:37] And also they got a Pakistani, and I just want to be sure our guys are well prepared for that, are they?
[0:43] Yes, sir.
[0:44] We're aware of this.
[0:45] Do they have sticks down there?
[0:47] We haven't seen any, Mr. President.
[0:49] 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.
[0:58] 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...
[1:08] A guided rocket.
[1:09] It was simply a 122-millimeter rocket fired from a small boat.
[1:12] But we'll watch that, sir.
[1:14] Very carefully.
[1:15] I assure you.
[1:15] Sure.
[1:16] Of course, if they happen to hit one of our destroyers, then we'd really go after them.
[1:21] But nevertheless, we just don't want it to happen.
[1:24] Let me ask, what is the situation with regard to the—what about the Newport News?
[1:29] When does it get out there?
[1:31] Well, it gets out there about the 6th, I believe, sir.
[1:34] Right.
[1:35] Yes, sir.
[1:36] It hasn't come all the way from Norfolk, you know.
[1:38] Right.
[1:38] Well, it'll do a good job.
[1:39] Yes, sir.
[1:40] 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.
[1:47] 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.
[1:57] Uh-huh.
[1:58] And we're going to put some down there.
[2:00] What can they do there?
[2:01] Well, they can work with the...
[2:03] of South Vietnamese troops ashore, sir.
[2:06] And they can hit, there's parts of the roads they can hit there?
[2:10] Hit the roads, and they, well, they can also support the troops during their close contact.
[2:17] Good, good, good.
[2:18] As long as they're in range, of course.
[2:19] Right.
[2:20] Okay, fine.
[2:21] Thank you, sir.
[2:22] Bye.
[2:22] Bye.