Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 155 › Conversation 155-031

Nixon, Johnson & Camp David Operator on Vietnam War and Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 22, 1972 · 7:04 PM–7:07 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David Operator; Johnson, Lyndon B.Conversation155-031 on Tape 155StartWednesday, November 22, 1972 at 7:04 PMEndWednesday, November 22, 1972 at 7:07 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 155-031 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called former President Lyndon B. Johnson at his Texas ranch to exchange Thanksgiving greetings and inquire about Johnson's recent hospital visit. The two discussed the status of Vietnam peace negotiations, with Nixon emphasizing his commitment to achieving an honorable settlement that would validate the efforts of both administrations. Nixon promised to have Henry Kissinger provide Johnson with a personal update should a breakthrough occur, and the two concluded by arranging for a visit from Bebe Rebozo to cheer up the former president.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello?

Mr. President, he is at the ranch and I have him on the line.

Fine.

How are you feeling?

Fine, Mr. President.

Glad to hear you.

Well, I heard that you were going to the hospital.

Yes, I went down and spent the day and came back feeling pretty good.

Well, I just wanted to tell you that Pat and I, we're at Camp David and we're going to have Thanksgiving with the kids here tomorrow.

of you and want to send our very best for a happy Thanksgiving to you, to Lady Bird, to Lucy and Linda, and to your fine sons-in-laws.

And even the little kids.

That one we had the picture taken with particularly.

You've been very nice to all of them.

And I want to tell you how much I appreciated your letter.

That was a very, very gracious note.

And I want to tell you, too, that on Vietnam, just so that you'll know what's going on, we're negotiating hard as hell.

to try to get it settled.

We think we may.

It's tough.

You know, it's tough with you and it's tough with the North Vietnamese, but we're trying to bring it off so that we end the war in an honorable basis, which will not only be—justify what we've done, but justify what you did.

And that's what history is going to record.

I'm sure you want it that way, too.

Well, you know, my prayers are with you and

everything you do and i think of you often and wish i could do more well we'll we'll do the best we can and just as soon as we know what's if there is a settlement i'll uh have henry call you and give you a rundown so you'll know in advance i want you to give me something for a christmas present what

I want you to give me something for Christmas, Brett.

What do you want?

I want you to make B.B.

come back to see me sometime.

All right.

He's going to be in New York with me over the weekend, and I'll have him go down there.

You tell him.

He's supposed to.

One thing about it, he'll cheer you up.

He sure will.

I always enjoy it.

Tell him.

First time he's going back, you send him by here.

All right.

He'll be there before Christmas.

Fair enough?

That's a good deal.

All right.

Bye.

Give our love to Matt.

I love all of you folks.

Bye.

you

NARA Description

On November 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and Lyndon B. Johnson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 7:04 pm to 7:07 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 155-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 155-31

Date: November 22, 1972
Time: 7:04 pm-7:07 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 230-14]

       Lyndon B. Johnson
            -Location
                  -Johnson Ranch

The President talked with Johnson

[See Conversation No. 230-14]

       Johnson
            -Health
                  -Hospital visit

       Best wishes
             -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
             -Thanksgiving
                   -The President’s family
                   -Claudia A. (Taylor) (“Lady Bird”) Johnson, Luci B. (Johnson) Nugent,
                    Lynda B. (Johnson) Robb, [Patrick Nugent], [Charles S. Robb]
                   -[Patrick Lyndon Nugent]
                         -White House visit March 14, 1972
                               -Photograph

       Johnson’s letter

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Status
                  -Settlement agreement
                         -Nguyen Van Thieu
                         -North Vietnamese
                                      -34-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                       Conversation No. 155-31 (cont’d)

                 -Honorable peace
                 -Justification of the President’s and Lyndon Johnson’s efforts
                 -Notification of Lyndon Johnson
                        -Henry A. Kissinger

Charles G. (“Bebe") Rebozo
     -Visit with Lyndon Johnson
            -The President’s and Rebozo’s schedule
                 -New York
            -Time

Greetings
      -Mrs. Nixon
      -[Julie Nixon Eisenhower], [Tricia Nixon Cox]

Also recorded on November 23, 1972

230-014 7:04 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 7:04 pm to 7:07 pm.
230-015 7:07 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Fina Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
230-016 7:07 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
230-017 7:07 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
230-018 7:07 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
230-019 7:07 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
230-020 7:07 PM · 15 sec — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
230-021 7:07 PM · 12 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.

All 18 conversations from November 23, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 155-031, November 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/155-031 (accessed October 10, 2026).