Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 145 › Conversation 145-016

Kissinger & Camp David Operator on Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr.

Monday, October 2, 1972 · 4:59 PM–8:22 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 11 sec

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Camp David OperatorConversation145-016 on Tape 145StartMonday, October 2, 1972 at 4:59 PMEndMonday, October 2, 1972 at 8:22 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 145-016 ↗

AI Summary

Henry A. Kissinger requested that the Camp David operator connect him via telephone to Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. This brief exchange functioned strictly as a logistical coordination to facilitate a direct conversation between the National Security Advisor and the Chief of Naval Operations. The communication was successfully established to initiate a high-level dialogue between the two officials.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Yes please?
Can you put Admiral Zumwalt here?
Yes sir, I'll get him for you.
He's on the line now.

NARA Description

On October 2, 1972, Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 145-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 145-16

Date: October 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

Henry A. Kissinger talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 214-26]

            Call from Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.

Also recorded on October 2, 1972

  • 145-012 4:59 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 145-013 4:59 PM · 16 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 145-014 4:59 PM · 23 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 145-015 4:59 PM · 17 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 145-017 4:59 PM · 2 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 214-024 5:03 PM · 12 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:03 pm and 8:30 pm.
  • 214-025 5:03 PM · 28 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:03 pm and 8:30 pm.
  • 214-026 5:03 PM · 18 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:03 pm and 8:30 pm.

All 44 conversations from October 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 145-016, October 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/145-016 (accessed October 12, 2026).