Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 043-084
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 1973 at 5:29 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Richardson, Elliot L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-084

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Hello, Mr. President.
[0:03] Hi, Elliot, how are you?
[0:05] Fine, how are you?
[0:06] Fine, fine.
[0:07] You should be feeling great satisfaction in the achievement of a... Aren't you proud of your new clients?
[0:15] I certainly am.
[0:16] Isn't that something?
[0:17] Really great, yes.
[0:19] They are the most... Best thing that's happened to the military services.
[0:23] Well, it makes the country proud.
[0:26] A war has to have even one like this, some heroes, and there they come.
[0:30] Yeah.
[0:31] Not only the ones that...
[0:32] But they behaved absolutely magnificently.
[0:35] Yeah, and they...
[0:36] where they came off that plane and everything.
[0:39] That is really something.
[0:40] Yeah, what I, did you talk to Moore?
[0:43] Did he tell you?
[0:45] How does that idea sound to you?
[0:46] Oh, I think it would be great.
[0:48] I think it would be a great thing for the services and for the department.
[0:50] Well, you know, I can't go to all the agencies and will not, but I thought we could, I'm just trying to think of how we position this so that it, what do you think we should say?
[1:01] I don't want to get it in a position where if I go here, they expect me to go to state and the rest.
[1:06] You know what I mean?
[1:07] And commerce, et cetera, because I just haven't got the time.
[1:10] Should we say that I'm going over to get a report on what?
[1:16] Well, you could come over to get a report on the progress toward...
[1:23] the homecoming of the POWs and the status of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
[1:33] But also, I think the idea I got from Tom's account of his conversation with you was that you also wanted to consider how appropriately to recognize these men.
[1:44] And I think that's the lead, really.
[1:48] Let's have it sort of handled that way so that we can, so that the press will realize there's a special purpose.
[1:54] Yeah.
[1:54] All right, and then you, your fellows can discuss it.
[1:58] I'll discuss some other things, too, naturally, you know, just sort of have, so that they sort of have a feeling.
[2:04] You see, the chiefs and the service secretaries figure you've got to have a feeling they participate.
[2:09] And you should, you can have anybody you want, but I assume you would have your deputy participate
[2:13] and then service secretaries.
[2:15] Does that sound all right?
[2:16] I would have the, yes, I would have the deputy service secretaries, the chiefs.
[2:21] Now, it's fine with me if you want to add people.
[2:25] I would add about three or four others.
[2:27] My top military assistant.
[2:29] Fine, fine, fine.
[2:31] Well, that's your... And the assistant secretary for public affairs.
[2:35] It's your call, and you do it.
[2:38] Well, we're really very delighted, and I think it would be a very refined thing for the...
[2:42] Yeah.
[2:44] I will bring, incidentally, I'll bring along Scowcroft with me, General Scowcroft, who is so that he can cover for the NSC crowd.
[2:53] Great.
[2:53] Okay, so you can figure just two of us and... Well, we're really very...
[2:57] I'm very proud to have you here.
[3:00] Well, I really think it's important for us to use this, Elliot, to build the military a bit, their morale, I mean, make them proud.
[3:08] And their own and the country's.
[3:12] That's right.
[3:13] The country needs it.
[3:14] Absolutely.
[3:15] Okay.
[3:16] It's a great idea.
[3:17] All right.
[3:18] I'll see you about 1 o'clock.
[3:19] Is that all right?
[3:19] That would be great.
[3:20] I'll be there.
[3:21] Good.
[3:21] Thanks a lot.