{"conversationCode":"158-051","tapeNumber":158,"conversationNumber":51,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-158-051","startDateTime":"1972-12-30T17:35:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-12-30T17:37:00.000Z","startDate":"30-Dec-1972","startTime":"12:35 PM","endDate":"30-Dec-1972","endTime":"12:37 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.);","description":"On December 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:35 pm to 12:37 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 158-051 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"CDST","recordingDevice":"Camp David Study Table","latitudeEstimated":39.648333,"longitudeEstimated":-77.465,"chronCode":"5.2","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part II","chronReleaseDate":"2-Dec-2008","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 158-51\n\nDate: December 30, 1972\nTime: 12:35 pm - 12:37 pm\nLocation: Camp David Study Table\n\nThe President talked with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer.\n\n[See Conversation No. 238-13]\n\n       Vietnam War\n            -US bombing of North Vietnam\n                 -The President’s message to military commanders\n                       -The President’s appreciation for courage and sacrifice\n                             -Criticism\n                 -The President’s letter\n                 -Effect on North Vietnamese\n                       -Military equipment\n                             -Missiles\n\f                                             -64-\n\n                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM\n\n                                                           Conversation No. 158-51 (cont’d)\n\n                  -Costs\n                  -The President’s message to military commanders\n                        -Avoiding “gloating” about victory\n                  -North Vietnamese reaction\n                        -Significance\n                              -Resumption of negotiations\n                                    -“Peaceniks” view\n                  -The President’s role\n                        -Courage\n                        -Air Force\n                  -Air Force\n                        -View of the President\n                  -The President’s message to military commanders","filename":["158-051.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)"],"prevCode":"158-050","nextCode":"158-052","transcript":[{"start":1.99,"end":9.82,"text":"Uh, well I just wanted to, uh, to, uh, hand out a message to the, sorry, the commanders, uh, you know, who involved in the operation for the past."},{"start":37.61,"end":47.12,"text":"Well, Mr. President, that's all the time we have."},{"start":47.2,"end":52.04,"text":"We really appreciated your letter the other day."},{"start":53.93,"end":55.35,"text":"And I just think they did a terrific job."},{"start":55.38,"end":60.81,"text":"As you know, those people up there are just about out of all kinds of missiles and so on."},{"start":64.69,"end":67.5,"text":"I think they're in real tough shape."},{"start":67.56,"end":69.34,"text":"And these boys did a terrific job."},{"start":69.56,"end":72.08,"text":"And thank you very much for thinking about it."},{"start":72.38,"end":73.16,"text":"And great talk."},{"start":73.28,"end":78.06,"text":"I think the most important thing is the energy that should be running."},{"start":78.08,"end":81.88,"text":"It doesn't look like it's loading or anything like that."},{"start":81.92,"end":83.22,"text":"I don't know if you can."},{"start":86.04,"end":94.67,"text":"Well, thank you so much, sir."},{"start":95.27,"end":99.23,"text":"I appreciate your advice."},{"start":105.66,"end":106.2,"text":"I'll do that right away."},{"start":106.22,"end":106.44,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":106.46,"end":107,"text":"This is for you."},{"start":107.34,"end":108.6,"text":"This is for you."},{"start":108.64,"end":109.36,"text":"This is for you."},{"start":109.39,"end":110.33,"text":"This is for you."},{"start":110.37,"end":110.77,"text":"This is for you."},{"start":126.78,"end":131.21,"text":"Absolutely, sir."},{"start":131.25,"end":135.3,"text":"Mr. President, it's your courage."},{"start":135.68,"end":139.56,"text":"I mean, your courage is what made this happen."},{"start":139.66,"end":142.67,"text":"I'm not playing any games."},{"start":147.35,"end":148.15,"text":"I know that."},{"start":148.57,"end":150.41,"text":"So, uh, that's what we want."},{"start":150.45,"end":150.89,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":150.99,"end":154.85,"text":"Well, we have a, you know, a great group of professionals."},{"start":154.87,"end":155.15,"text":"Right."},{"start":155.25,"end":158.12,"text":"And they certainly, uh, listen to a man in my youth."},{"start":158.14,"end":158.44,"text":"All right."},{"start":158.62,"end":158.92,"text":"Okay."},{"start":158.96,"end":159.62,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":159.74,"end":160.12,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":160.16,"end":162.56,"text":"I'll send that right away, Mr. President."},{"start":162.58,"end":162.86,"text":"Thank you."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon consulted with Admiral Thomas H. Moorer to discuss his desire to send a formal message of appreciation to military commanders following recent bombing operations over North Vietnam. Moorer confirmed that North Vietnamese forces were significantly depleted of missiles and supplies, attributing the success of the campaign directly to the President's decisive leadership. Nixon requested that the commendation avoid a tone of triumphalism while emphasizing the professionalism and courage of the Air Force personnel involved.","topics":["Vietnam War","Operation Linebacker II","Military morale","Air Force","North Vietnam"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T09:15:14.886Z"},"topicSlugs":["vietnam-war","operation-linebacker-ii","military-morale","air-force","north-vietnam"],"audioDurationSec":171,"audioFiles":[{"file":"158-051.mp3","bytes":4103285,"durationSec":170.84,"bitrate":192146,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:33.323Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:42:57.156Z","transcriptGapSeconds":100,"transcriptGapShare":0.59,"transcriptQuality":"incomplete","transcriptPrev":{"segments":24,"words":197,"replacedAt":"2026-10-27T04:09:40.680Z"},"transcriptSource":"retranscribed-2026-09","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/158-051.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/158-051","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/158/conversation-158-051","catalogNaId":648452623,"catalogUrl":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/648452623","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}