Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 50 › Conversation 050-008

Nixon, National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in…

Friday, March 19, 1971 · 12:06 PM–12:13 PM ET · Cabinet Room

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia; Vinson, Joan; North, Carol; Plowman, Kathy; Crayton, Patsy; Powers, Iris; McManus, Mary Jane; Ford, Eldora; Moe, Alfred F.; Moe, Alfred F. (Mrs.); Buckley, Russ (Lt.); Nelson, Marianne; Resor, Stanley R.; Palmer, Bruce (Gen.); Jones, L. (Maj.); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.); Ratliffe, Walter B. (Lt. Col.); Chafee, John H.; Zumwalt, Elmo R., Jr. (Adm.); Chapman, Leonard F. (Gen.); McLucas, John L. (Dr.); Davis, Russell (Mrs.); Davis, Russell (Lt.); Sieverts, Frank A.; Epes, H. H., Jr. (Adm.); Kegley, Milton (Col.); Brock, William E., III; Boland, Edward P.; Keating, William J.; Mazzoli, Romano L.; Michel, Robert H.; Myers, John T.; Nichols, William F. ("Bob"); Pelly, Thomas M.; Rogers, Paul G.; Shriver, Garner; Young, William J.; Zion, Roger H.; Dickinson, William L.; Hunt, Olive; Morin, Richard (Mrs.); Johnson, U. Alexis; Capen, Richard; Nixon, Richard M. (President); National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia; Vinson, Joan; North, Carol; Plowman, Kathy; Crayton, Patsy; Powers, Iris; McManus, Mary Jane; Ford, Eldora; Moe, Alfred F.; Moe, Alfred F. (Mrs.); Buckley, Russ (Lt.); Nelson, Marianne; Resor, Stanley R.; Palmer, Bruce (Gen.); Jones, L. (Maj.); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.); Ratliffe, Walter B. (Lt. Col.); Chafee, John H.; Zumwalt, Elmo R., Jr. (Adm.); Chapman, Leonard F. (Gen.); McLucas, John L. (Dr.); Davis, Russell (Mrs.); Davis, Russell (Lt.); Sieverts, Frank A.; Epes, H. H., Jr. (Adm.); Kegley, Milton (Col.); Brock, William E., III; Boland, Edward P.; Keating, William J.; Mazzoli, Romano L.; Michel, Robert H.; Myers, John T.; Nichols, William F. ("Bob"); Pelly, Thomas M.; Rogers, Paul G.; Shriver, Garner; Young, William J.; Zion, Roger H.; Dickinson, William L.; Hunt, Olive; Morin, Richard (Mrs.); Johnson, U. Alexis; Capen, RichardConversation050-008 on Tape 50StartFriday, March 19, 1971 at 12:06 PMEndFriday, March 19, 1971 at 12:13 PMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 050-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with members of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, along with various military officials and members of Congress, to observe the signing of a proclamation for the National Week of Concern for POW/MIA. The gathering served as a public demonstration of support for families affected by the ongoing war in Vietnam. The ceremony focused on acknowledging the plight of those missing in action and reinforcing the administration's commitment to their families.

  • POW/MIA
  • Vietnam War
  • National League of Families
  • Executive proclamation
  • Military affairs

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 114.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 114.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 8.9 MB

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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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3:04:48I'd like to go back to George's comments.
3:04:50I think I'm running sharing because I've been out around the country, particularly in the West.
3:04:55Here I've gotten pretty bleak because two of my major constituencies, labor unions and minority groups,
3:05:03I have very good friends here in Washington, but Bob James is great.
3:05:12I had meetings with Los Angeles Times editorial board, supervisors of all counties in Southern California, and then a group of leading mayors.
3:05:22When you talk with them,

NARA Description

On March 19, 1971, during the Signing of the National Week of Concern for Prisoners of War/Missing in Action, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the military and the Executive Committe for the National League of American Families of Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, including Joan Vinson, Carol North, Kathy Plowman, Patsy Crayton, Iris Powers, Mary Jane McManus, Eldora Ford, Alfred F. Moe, Mrs. Alfred F. Moe, Lt. Russ Buckley, Marianne Nelson, Stanley R. Resor, Gen. Bruce Palmer, Maj. L. Jones, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Lt. Col. Walter B. Ratliffe, John H. Chafee, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Gen. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., Dr. John L. McLucas, Gen. John C. Meyer, Mrs. Russell Davis, Lt. Russell Davis, Frank A. Sieverts, Adm. H. H. Epes, Jr., Col. Milton Kegley, William E. Brock, III, Edward P. Boland, William J. Keating, Romano L. Mazzoli, Robert H. Michel, John T. Myers, William F. ("Bob") Nichols, Thomas M. Pelly, Paul G. Rogers, Garner Shriver, William J. Young, Roger Zion, William L. Dickinson, Olive Hunt, Mrs. Richard Morin, U. Alexis Johnson, and Richard Capen, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 12:06 pm to 12:13 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 050-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 50-8

Date: March 19, 1971
Time: 12:06 pm - 12:13 pm
Location: Cabinet Room

The President met with Joan Vinson, Carol North, Kathy Plowman, Patsy Crayton, Iris Powers,
Mary Jane McManus, Eldora Ford, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred F. Moe, Lieutenant Russ Buckley,
Marianne Nelson, Stanley R. Resor, General Bruce Palmer, Major L. Jones, Admiral Thomas H.
Moorer, Lieutenant Colonel Walter B. Ratliffe, John H. Chafee, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.,
General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., Dr. John L. McLucas, General John C. Meyer, Mrs. Russell
Davis, Lieutenant [Forename unknown] Davis, Frank A. Sieverts, Admiral H. H. Epes, Jr.,
Colonel Milton Kegley, William E. Brock, III, Edward P. Boland, William J. Keating, Romano
L. Mazzoli, Robert H. Michel, John T. Myers, William F. (“Bob”) Nichols, Thomas M. Pelly,
Paul G. Rogers, Garner Shriver, William J. Young, Roger Zion, William L. Dickinson, Olive
Hunt, Mrs. Richard Morin, U. Alexis Johnson, and Richard Capen

     [Unintelligible]

     [Applause]

     [General conversation]

The President, et al. left at 12:13 pm

Also recorded on March 19, 1971

  • 470-008 11:45 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 12:06 pm.
  • 470-009 12:15 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 12:16 pm.
  • 470-010 12:32 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:32 pm.
  • 470-011 12:33 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:33 pm.
  • 470-012 12:33 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 12:35 pm.
  • 470-013 12:38 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Gerald R. Ford met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 470-014 12:52 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 470-015 12:52 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 1:05 pm.

All 19 conversations from March 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 050-008, March 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/050-008 (accessed October 12, 2026).