Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 37 › Conversation 037-059

Nixon phone call with Stennis on Vietnam War and POWs

Monday, March 5, 1973 · 4:44 PM–4:46 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Stennis, John C.Conversation037-059 on Tape 37StartMonday, March 5, 1973 at 4:44 PMEndMonday, March 5, 1973 at 4:46 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 037-059 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417195259 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Senator John C. Stennis to check on his recovery from recent medical treatment and to discuss the ongoing progress of the Vietnam settlement. Nixon highlights the success of his firm negotiation strategy, noting that threatening to halt troop withdrawals and minesweeping operations successfully forced the release of a second group of POWs. The two also reflect on the return of American prisoners, specifically commending the statements made by Captain Jeremiah A. Denton.

Audio

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NARA Description

On March 5, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis talked on the telephone from 4:44 pm to 4:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-059 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 37-59

Date: March 5, 1973
Time: 4:44 pm-4:46 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John C. Stennis.

[See Conversation No. 417-14]

       Stennis’s Health
              -Duration of treatment
              -Rest

       Vietnam Settlement
             -Prisoners of war [POW] release
                     -US strategy
                            -Minesweeping
                            -Troop withdrawals
                            -Statements
                            -Capt. Jeremiah P. Denton
                                    -Letter to President

       Stennis’s support for President

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Hello?
Senator Stennis, sir.
Hello?
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
Well, you seem to sound better each time I call you.
Well, thank you, sir.
I've turned the corner some more, I think.
Right.
Things are really coming along all right.
Everything is in good shape now.
I mean, it's moving along on schedule.
The process, as you warned me in the beginning, you know, hasn't been briefed how long it might take.
Well, the main thing is that...
all those uh organs are patched up again and then uh then you need a little uh time to rest a bit and then you'll be back on the firing line again well i'm anxious to get back of course of course things are going well with you well we're coming along we're uh everything seems to be going about uh about what we expect we were glad to get the
as that second group of POWs back on schedule.
Yes, sir.
I'm very proud, very proud for you.
We were very tough on them on that.
They'd start to fiddle around and say this publicly, but as you may have noted, we just told them to quit clearing the mines and quit withdrawing, and we sent a private message that we were going to continue until they do it, and they came through in 24 hours.
That's what it took.
I knew that was your pattern as soon as you sounded off the first note.
I knew you'd get those, too.
The others, they certainly are great when they come back, aren't they, though?
Oh, yes, yes, Lord.
I read the full statement today.
This young naval pilot, you know, just great, just great.
Get all that compiled and put together in the right way.
Yes.
I received a letter from Captain Denton, who was the first one, you know, on the first flight.
I'll send you a copy of it.
It's really so good.
All right.
So good.
I mean, he just— I'd appreciate it.
He sums up everything.
Well, I'll be making myself felt a little on the hill even before I get back out there.
Good.
I'll be—I know where you stand.
Right.
I will.
Where you need help.
We'll call on you when you're through.
Thank you.
Thank you for your call.

Also recorded on March 5, 1973

  • 037-058 3:34 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:34 pm and 4:44 pm.
  • 417-010 3:34 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:34 pm and 4:44 pm.
  • 417-011 3:34 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:34 pm and 4:44 pm.
  • 417-012 3:34 PM · 10 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 3:34 pm and 4:44 pm.
  • 417-014 4:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:44 pm to 4:46 pm.
  • 037-060 4:48 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:48 pm to 4:49 pm.
  • 417-015 4:48 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:48 pm to 4:49 pm.
  • 417-016 4:50 PM · 1 hr 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:50 pm to 6:06 pm.

All 31 conversations from March 5, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 037-059, March 5, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417195259). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/037-059 (accessed November 2, 2026).