Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 158 › Conversation 158-003

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Henry Kissinger and Camp David

Thursday, December 28, 1972 · 9:10 PM–9:41 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 12 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation158-003 on Tape 158StartThursday, December 28, 1972 at 9:10 PMEndThursday, December 28, 1972 at 9:41 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 158-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent communication request. The primary purpose of the brief interaction was to initiate a telephone call to National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. This exchange highlights the President's reliance on support staff to maintain secure and direct lines of communication with his foreign policy team while at the presidential retreat.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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You got birds?

Uh, that's good to be back up right now.

NARA Description

On December 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 9:41 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 158-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 158-3

Date: December 28, 1972
Time: Unknown between 9:10 pm and 9:41 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
                                                -2-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 158-3 (cont’d)

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 237-6]

       Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on December 29, 1972

158-002 7:14 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:14 pm.
237-004 7:14 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:14 pm.
237-005 7:14 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:14 pm and 9:10 pm.
237-006 9:10 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 9:41 pm.
158-004 9:41 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 9:41 pm to 10:47 pm.
237-007 9:41 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 9:41 pm to 10:07 pm.
237-008 10:07 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William Hirsch met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 10:07 pm on December 28, 1972 and 10:48 pm on December 29, 1972.
158-005 10:30 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:30 am and 10:48 am.

All 67 conversations from December 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 158-003, December 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/158-003 (accessed October 10, 2026).