Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 135 › Conversation 135-012

Sisco phone call on Camp David and Telephone switchboard

Thursday, June 29, 1972 · 1:43 PM–11:59 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 1 min

Participants[Unknown person(s)]; Sisco, Frank A.Conversation135-012 on Tape 135 (tape position 00:50:43–00:51:57)StartThursday, June 29, 1972 at 1:43 PMEndThursday, June 29, 1972 at 11:59 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 135-012 ↗

AI Summary

Frank A. Sisco and an unidentified individual discuss technical malfunctions involving the marine switchboard and GQ alarms at Camp David. The conversation addresses confusion regarding responsibility for identifying whether the issues stem from the lines or the alarm system itself. They clarify that the alarms are localized within specific buildings—Chestnut, Hickory, and the barracks—and confirm that the reported telephone service problems have been repaired.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. Siscoe.
Yes, sir.
You got a second?
Are you still fine?
I'm listening.
Mr. Norris was just here and said that he had to report back to Harry Yost about getting a GQ alarm fixed on a marine switchboard.
That somehow or another Harry Yost had gotten an outage and Harry said that he had to report back to you on it.
Yeah.
What are you doing getting it?
Well, because Harry's in charge of the thing.
And Harry has to check to see whether it's a GQ alarm or the lines.
Yeah.
Well, it comes to us as a switchboard outage, and we report it to Telco.
I know, but then Lunsford then called me later on, and I had Petrie get a hold of Harry to check to see whether it was the alarms or whether it was the lines.
See, Harry's in charge of GQ alarms now.
You realize they tested that damn thing at 12 noon and it didn't work?
Yeah, I know.
Well, the boss up here, they want some of it still tested out.
Yeah, well, it's not any place where he can hear it.
Oh, is that right?
Yeah.
It's only inside the buildings.
Oh, in buildings, huh?
Yeah, in Chestnut and Hickory and the barracks I read.
Well, there was a telephone problem that's been repaired.
Okie dokie.
All right, sir.
Thank you.
Give me a signal.
Okay, sir.
All right, I'll send come in a signal.

NARA Description

On June 29, 1972, unknown person(s) and Frank A. Sisco talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 135-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 135-12

Date: June 29, 1972
Time: Unknown after 1:43 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table (telephone)

An unknown man talked with Frank A. Sisco.

     Telephone switchboard repair
          -[Forename unknown] North
          -Henry R. Yost, Jr.
          -Problems
                -Extent

Also recorded on June 29, 1972

  • 135-009 1:43 PM · 5 sec — unknown person(s) and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 135-010 1:43 PM · 33 sec — unknown person(s) and the White House operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 135-011 1:43 PM · 41 sec — unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 135-013 1:43 PM · 46 sec — unknown person(s) and the White House operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 135-014 1:43 PM · 44 sec — Frank A. Sisco, San Clemente operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 195-015 1:43 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 1:57 pm.
  • 195-016 1:43 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 1:57 pm.
  • 195-017 1:43 PM · 2 min — unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 60 conversations from June 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 135-012, June 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/135-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).