Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 105 › Conversation 105-006

Nixon, Beall & Thurmond on HR 10670 and Military Survivor Benefits

Thursday, September 21, 1972 · 12:00 PM–12:06 PM ET · Cabinet Room

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Beall, George;  Thurmond, Strom;  Price, Melvin;  Fisher, O. Clark;  Bennett, Charles E.;  Stratton, Samuel S.;  Pike, Otis G.;  Ichord, Richard H.;  Hagan, G. Elliott;  Wilson, Charles H.;  Hicks, Louise Day;  White, Richard C.;  Nichols, William F. ("Bob");  Brinkley, Jack T.;  Daniel, Wilbur C. ("Dan");  Montgomery, Gillespie V. ("Sonny");  Runnels, Harold L.;  Arends, Leslie C.;  Bray, William G.;  Wilson, Robert C. ("Bob");  Gubser, Charles S.;  Hall, Durward G.;  Clancy, Donald D.;  King, Carleton J.;  Dickinson, William L.;  Hunt, John E.;  Whitehurst, G. William;  Spence, Floyd D.;  Young, C. W. ("Bill");  Powell, Walter E.;  Conover, William;  Aspin, Leslie ("Les"), Jr.;  Laird, Melvin R.;  Slatinshek, Frank M.;  Sanson, Joseph N.;  Nickerson, Herman, Jr. (Lt. Gen.);  Morris, Thomas E.;  Carr, Patrick E.;  Nolan, Robert W.;  Ostrow, Martin M.;  Matthews, Joseph J.;  Beave, [First name unknown];  Nidecker, John E.;  White House photographerConversation105-006 onTape 105StartThursday, September 21, 1972 at 12:00 PMEndThursday, September 21, 1972 at 12:06 PMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 105-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon hosted a bipartisan group of Congressional members and Department of Defense officials in the Cabinet Room for the formal signing of HR 10670, a bill establishing a survivor benefit plan for retired military personnel. The discussion emphasized the necessity of providing military families with benefits comparable to those in the Foreign Service and other civilian sectors. The President utilized the event to express his administration's gratitude for Congressional support and to stress the importance of national respect for those serving in an all-volunteer armed force.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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2:26:11In addition to that, it affects the families and the lives of the men and women of the military service that are currently serving in Iraq.
2:26:38They have an opportunity to be treated as other civilian workers.
2:26:43The government has been treated, members of the Foreign Service have been treated for many years.
2:26:51For 25 years, the House and Senate Armed Services Committee has been considering legislation along this line.
2:26:58And it was through the efforts of the House and Senate Committees and the bipartisan support
2:27:06on the floor of the House and the Senate that this legislation is a reality today.
2:27:12And I'd like to express the appreciation not only of our Commander-in-Chief, but of those of us in the Defense Department who are working for an all-volunteer force, for our Army, Air Force, our Navy, and our Marine Corps.
2:27:28These military men are involved in a very real sense, in a different way because of their separation from their families during their careers in military service.
2:27:43And this means a great deal to them because of the support of their families.
2:27:47It makes it possible for them to do the kind of job that's so necessary in the defense of freedom in the world and in making possible our efforts and our objectives of peace throughout the world.
2:28:02And so on behalf of all of us in the Department of Defense, I'd like to express the long view from the Congress, our appreciation for making this opportunity available, not only to the 900,000 that have already retired,
2:28:16military service, but to all those men and women that are currently taking part in the defense of our country and serving in the Air Force.
2:28:27Thank you.
2:28:27Ladies and gentlemen, I would only add to that by saying that
2:28:47Most important of all...
2:28:55That what men and women who serve in our armed forces really need more than anything else is respect.
2:29:03Whatever we pay them, whatever survivor benefits we provide, certainly should be equivalent to what they can do in civilian life.
2:29:12But the respect must come from all of the American people.
2:29:16for those who serve in our armed forces, and the fact that so many of you have come down from the House and the Senate today, not only indicates your interest in this legislation, but it indicates that on a five-point front, we respect the men and women that serve America all over the world.
2:29:57I hope you all have a nice vacation afternoon.

NARA Description

On September 21, 1972, At the signing for establishment of a survivor benefit plan for survivors of retired military personnel (HR 10670), President Richard M. Nixon, J. Glenn Beall, Jr., Strom Thurmond, Melvin Price, O. Clark Fisher, Charles E. Bennett, Samuel S. Stratton, Otis G. Pike, Richard H. Ichord, G. Elliott Hagan, Charles H. Wilson, Louise Day Hicks, Richard C. White, William F. ("Bob") Nichols, Jack T. Brinkley, Wilbur C. ("Dan&wuot;) Daniel, Gillespie V. ("Sonny") Montgomery, Harold L. Runnels, Leslie C. Arends, William G. Bray, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, Charles S. Gubser, Durward G. Hall, Donald D. Clancy, Carleton J. King, William L. Dickinson, John E. Hunt, G. William Whitehurst, Floyd D. Spence, C. W. ("Bill") Young, Walter E. Powell, William Conover, Leslie ("Les") Aspin, Jr., Melvin R. Laird, Frank M. Slatinshek, Joseph N. Sanson, Lt. Gen. Herman Nickerson, Jr., Thomas E. Morris, Patrick E. Carr, Robert W. Nolan, Martin M. Ostrow, Joseph J. Matthews, Mr. Beave, John E. Nidecker, and the White House photographer met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 12:00 pm to 12:06 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 105-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 105-6

Date: September 21, 1972
Time: 12:00 pm - 12:06 pm
Location: Cabinet Room

The President met with J. Glenn Beall, Jr., Strom Thurmond, Melvin Price, O. Clark Fisher,
Charles E. Bennett, Samuel S. Stratton, Otis G. Pike, Richard H. Ichord, G. Elliott Hagan,
Charles H. Wilson, Louise Day Hicks, Richard C. White, William F. (“Bob”) Nichols, Jack T.
Brinkley, Wilbur C. (“Dan”) Daniel, Gillespie V. (“Sonny”) Montgomery, Harold L. Runnels,
Leslie C. Arends, William G. Bray, Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson, Charles S. Gubser, Durward G.
Hall, Donald D. Clancy, Carleton J. King, William L. Dickinson, John E. Hunt, G. William
Whitehurst, Floyd D. Spence, C. W. (“Bill”) Young, Walter E. Powell, William Conover, Les
Aspin, Melvin R. Laird, Frank M. Slatinshek, Joseph N. Sanson, Lieutenant General Herman
Nickerson, Jr., Thomas E. Morris, Patrick E. Carr, Robert W. Nolan, Martin M. Ostrow, Joseph
J. Matthews, Mr. Beave, and John E. Nidecker; the White House photographer was present at the
beginning of the meeting

     [Unintelligible -- camera noise]

     Bill signing [House Resolution [HR] 10670, a bill providing for the survivors of retired
           military personnel]
           -Compared with status for civilian services

                -Foreign Service
           -House and Senate Armed Services Committees
           -Voluntary armed services
           -Department of Defense

     The President’s comments
          -Respect for Armed Forces personnel
          -Support from Congress

     Pen presentation

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President, et al. left at 12:06 pm

Also recorded on September 21, 1972

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  • 784-016 12:07 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, J. Glenn Beall, Jr., Charles S. Gubser, Otis G. Pike, Robert W. Nolan, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:11 pm.
  • 784-017 12:11 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:11 pm and 12:15 pm.
  • 784-018 12:15 PM · 9 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.
  • 784-019 12:20 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm.
  • 784-020 12:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Robert R. Casey, John E. Nidecker, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:23 pm to 12:25 pm.
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All 43 conversations from September 21, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 105-006, September 21, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/105-006 (accessed September 18, 2026).