Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-056

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on POWs and Operation Homecoming

Tuesday, February 13, 1973 · 8:27 AM–8:33 AM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation043-056 on Tape 43StartTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 8:27 AMEndTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 8:33 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-056 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place calls to the wives of two recently released American prisoners of war. He identified the individuals as Mrs. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr., located in Virginia Beach, and Mrs. Robinson Risner, located in Oklahoma City. Nixon directed the operator to coordinate with the military aide's office to facilitate contact with these family members.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Please.
Would you try to get Mrs. Denton?
She is the wife of the Captain Denton of the POW who was released yesterday.
And I think she's in Virginia Beach.
You can get this through the military AIDS office.
All right, sir.
And let's see, the other one is...
And Colonel Reisner, R-I-S-N-E-R.
He's from Oklahoma City.
He's another one of them.
Okay?
His wife or him?
Oh, I want the wife.
Yes, all right, Mr. President.
The wife's in Oklahoma City, and Captain Denton's wife is in Virginia Beach.
Yes, thank you very much.

NARA Description

On February 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 8:33 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-056 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-56

Date: February 13, 1973
Time: Unknown between 8:27 am and 8:33 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 854-1]

       Request for calls to Mrs. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr. and Mrs. Robinson Risner
            -Location

Also recorded on February 13, 1973

  • 854-001 8:11 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:11 am and 8:27 am.
  • 854-002 8:11 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:11 am and 8:27 am.
  • 043-057 8:27 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Robinson Risner talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 8:33 am.
  • 854-003 8:27 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Robinson Risner met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 8:33 am.
  • 043-058 8:35 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr. talked on the telephone from 8:35 am to 8:37 am.
  • 854-004 8:35 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. Jeremiah P. Denton met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:35 am to 8:37 am.
  • 043-059 8:37 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 8:47 am.
  • 854-005 8:37 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 8:47 am.

All 55 conversations from February 13, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-056, February 13, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-056 (accessed October 5, 2026).