Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 152 › Conversation 152-002

Milne, Brennan & Camp David Operator on John G. Tower and Camp David

Sunday, October 29, 1972 · 7:55 PM–8:58 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsBrennan, John V.; Camp David Operator; [Unknown person(s)]; Milne, DanConversation152-002 on Tape 152StartSunday, October 29, 1972 at 7:55 PMEndSunday, October 29, 1972 at 8:58 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 152-002 ↗

AI Summary

John V. Brennan, Dan Milne, and other operators coordinated the logistical arrangements for a scheduled telephone call between President Nixon and Senator John G. Tower. The participants managed the technical setup, including securing the phone line and preparing to switch the signal to a public address system for a reception. The call was successfully established and connected to the presidential extension, ensuring the President could communicate with the Senator.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
You're on Mr. Johnson?
Just a moment, sir.
Oh, whatever.
There's Mr. Johnson's on now.
Oh, okay.
Oh, Major Brannan?
Yes, sir.
Anytime that you are, they're waiting for the call at approximately 2100 our time.
Okay.
Well, I'm going to go in for them to get them now.
So I guess I'll just leave this one off the hook.
Yes, sir.
And when I come back with him and he sits down, I'll pick this up.
Right.
Do you want us to go ahead and establish the call?
Yep, that's the time to do it.
You want to establish it this time?
Establish the call now, and I'll just leave this line open, and when I come back, I'll just, when I come back with him, I'll just, I'll come back to this one and make sure it's okay.
Okay.
When I come back, I'll be with him.
Okay.
Thank you, now.
I understand they're establishing the call now.
He's going after the president at this time.
Establish the call now.
And so establish the primary call.
Okay.
Can you inform me as soon as they start putting that through?
Because I've got the phone turned off here to make sure that there's no possibility of any external calls coming in.
Okay, you'll get it then.
Okay, we're ready now, so just put it through right away.
We're ready right now, so put it through.
All right, so the phone is ringing here and the senator is on his way to answer it.
Roger.
Two more rings before he picks it up.
Okay.
Can you just tell me when to pick up the phone?
Yes, sir, I will, sir.
Within a minute or two, sir, unless you need more time.
Okay, Dan, switch to the PA.
is on, sir.
Major Brennan, you may pick up the call on the presidential extension, sir.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 29, 1972, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, unknown person(s), and Dan Milne talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 152-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 152-2

Date: October 29, 1972
Time: Unknown between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

John V. (“Jack”) Brennan talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 222-3]

        Request for [first name not known] Johnston

Brennan talked with Johnston at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.

        The President's telephone call to reception honoring John G. Tower, October 29, 1972
            -Arrangements
                -Time
                -The President's schedule
                -Establishment of call
                     -Line

Dan Milne joined the conversation at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.

        The President's telephone call to Tower
            -Arrangements
                -Hookup
                     -Receiving telephone in Texas
                     -Timing

Milne conferred with an unknown person at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.

        The President's telephone call to Tower
            -Arrangements

[End of conferral]

        The President's telephone call to Tower
            -Arrangements
                -Tower
                -Switch to public address system
                -Presidential extension
                     -Brennan

Also recorded on October 30, 1972

  • 152-001 7:55 PM · 1 min — John V. Brennan and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 222-002 7:55 PM · 13 sec — John V. Brennan and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 222-003 7:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 152-003 8:55 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and John G. Tower talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:02 pm.
  • 182-001 8:55 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and John G. Tower talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:02 pm.
  • 222-004 8:55 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and John G. Tower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:03 pm.
  • 182-003 12:01 AM · 13 sec — the recording device engaged at an unknown time between 12:01 am and 8:55 am, but the conversation appears to be blank.
  • 222-005 9:30 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:30 am and 9:50 am.

All 23 conversations from October 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 152-002, October 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/152-002 (accessed October 5, 2026).