Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 186 › Conversation 186-008

Sisco, Morlan & Camp David Operator on Camp David

Friday, February 2, 1973 · 3:43 PM–8:50 PM ET · Camp David Study Desk · 6 min

ParticipantsSisco, Frank A.; Camp David Operator; [Unknown person(s)]; Morlan, Farrell D.Conversation186-008 on Tape 186StartFriday, February 2, 1973 at 3:43 PMEndFriday, February 2, 1973 at 8:50 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study DeskSourceNixon Library record for 186-008 ↗

AI Summary

Frank A. Sisco and Sergeant Farrell D. Morlan discuss logistical problems regarding the recording equipment and tapes used for the President at Camp David. Sisco expresses confusion after discovering that the new blank tapes provided to him contained pre-recorded music, prompting a discussion about supply chain errors and communication failures between the White House staff and audiovisual personnel. Morlan clarifies that the President specifically requires C-120 tapes and instructs Sisco to source them directly from Stoddard to ensure consistency and prevent further recording issues.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Okay, give me a second.
Okay.
White House signal.
Could you ring Sergeant Moore in his quarters for me, please?
Thank you.
How many of them have been opened?
All of these have been opened.
They come in a bag.
They come in a bag.
That's what I mean.
You've got to check.
You've got to get the damn things on with me.
We've got 90s, 120s, 60s, and 30s.
Is that open?
I don't know if that's open.
I don't know.
I don't have him to take me out, but it's something like 50-something.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But if he did go to record something, he would erase it.
He would erase that music.
I know, but no way.
Yeah, sir, morning?
Yeah.
Say, you know these damn recorders I just got?
I got a bunch of tapes for me.
The president just left, and I was checking to see if there was anything on the tape.
And this one here's got music on it.
Weren't these supposed to be blank tapes you sent me out?
When?
Uh, yesterday.
I just got these Sony, uh, C90s.
And, you know, I put out what I thought was two new tapes for them to use.
They didn't give us the, uh, audio visual.
Oh, they did?
Yeah.
Huh?
Huh?
Who is it?
Mr. Cisco.
Oh, I'm sorry.
That's a Cam David.
No, I didn't, uh, uh, let's see.
I didn't get any C90s.
I think you had your tapes up there.
No, well, this is the, uh, I just picked up the two C90s yesterday.
Down there.
Uh-huh.
And I come in to check after he left to see, you know, he has left, uh...
He should have picked up 120s.
Didn't he?
Didn't you see that message up there?
The only thing the person wants to use is 120s.
No, I didn't see that.
All he wants to use is 120.
120?
Yeah.
I got 160s.
Oh, you mean just 60s?
Well, this here says, uh, Scott ABC...
One, uh, 60, 30 minutes side.
Oh, no.
That's what I've got.
You could have all 120.
I didn't put it in the package unless your boy asked for a certain one.
Well, I don't know.
Because when I caught some man up there like you had plenty of them, you know, I just swapped out the bearing.
You hear that?
That's, that's me, isn't it?
Yeah, did you have any up there?
No, I didn't have any.
See, I didn't have any recordings until I got this.
Is he coming up there?
Well, he was up there, and he left, and he's coming back tomorrow.
Uh-huh.
And I just wondered how in the devil I got tapes with music on them.
That's a good question, and it must have been A.V.
It couldn't have gone from me.
Okay, well, I picked... Well, you're surprised.
You gave me two, three recorders yesterday.
Right, 53 recorders.
And I got the tapes from you yesterday.
He may have asked for tape.
I don't think Garner got him for much.
Well, I asked him to get the tapes yesterday.
He only got two?
Well, I've got two down here with me.
And one of them's got music on it.
I just put two out for the box.
Hold on a minute.
Hey, uh, Sonny?
Did Garner pick up the tape yet?
Are these some that you had earlier?
Well, I don't know who he picked up the tapes from yesterday, but he picked them up yesterday.
Well, what I told him is to check down there and see what they needed.
and to bring back some of all of what the president used.
Now, I haven't saw a message on anything.
Okay, the only thing, uh...
But then Garner brought back 20s, 30s, 60s, and 90s yesterday.
Grab, see, I'm going, a lot of people give you what you ask for, but you don't get the information out.
You just like day to day, you didn't know what you were supposed to swap out that TC-40.
No, I didn't even know I was supposed to get a TC-40 that Colonel Adams told me.
Don't pass it on information.
You have to buy three people and forget it.
Yeah.
Now, look, if you need tape, just go down to Stoddard there and buy yourself a dozen C-120s.
C-120s?
C-120s.
That's 120 minutes.
Okay.
That's all the president wants.
Okay.
C-20s, huh?
C-120s.
C-120s.
Well, I'll just pick up some from Stoddard tomorrow.
Okay.
And then all this mess I've got here, I'll send back to you because I don't want any of this being recorded on.
Okay.
Who do I send them to?
Okay, I'll just keep them here for test tapes.
Okay.
Then I'll get to see 120s from starters tomorrow.
Okay, thanks a lot, then.

NARA Description

On February 2, 1973, Frank A. Sisco, Camp David operator, unknown person(s), and Farrell D. Morlan talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm. The Camp David Study Desk taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 186-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 186-8
                                               -7-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 186-9 (cont’d)

Date: February 2, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm
Location: Camp David Study Desk

Frank A. Sisco talked with the Camp David operator.

       Request for a call to the White House Signal Office

Sisco talked with the White House Signal Office.

[See Conversation No. 241-4C]

       Request for a call to Sgt. Farrell D. Morlan

[Unknown people can be heard in background]

       Tapes

Sisco talked with Morlan.

       Recorders

       Tapes
               -The President’s schedule
                       -Content
                              -Music
                       -Sony C-90
                              -Sony C-120
               -The President’s schedule
               -Origin
                       -Audiovisual [AV]
                       -Recorders
                       -Thomas Garner
                                              -8-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 186-9 (cont’d)

Morlan met with Fred R. Fried [?] at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 5: 50 pm.

                       -TC 40
                              -Col. Lawrence Adams
                       -Dissemination of information
              -Kinds
                     -Stoddard's
                            -Sony C-120 tapes
              -Return
              -Test

Also recorded on February 2, 1973

  • 186-001 3:43 PM · 42 sec — Camp David operator, William Hirsch, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-002 3:43 PM · 32 sec — William Hirsch and Charles C. ("Charlie") Sumrell talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-003 3:43 PM · 4 min — Henry A. Kissinger, Camp David operator, Paul ("Stern") Kissinger, and Louis Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-004 3:43 PM · 3 min — Henry A. Kissinger, Camp David operator, unknown person(s), and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-005 3:43 PM · 3 min — Henry A. Kissinger, Camp David operator, and Cmdr. Jonathan T. Howe talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-006 3:43 PM · 20 sec — Charles C. ("Charlie") Sumrell and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-007 3:43 PM · 33 sec — Frank A. Sisco, Camp David operator, and Charles A. Grunden talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-009 3:43 PM · 2 min — Charles C. ("Charlie") Sumrell, Camp David operator, and Farrell D. Morlan talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.

All 33 conversations from February 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 186-008, February 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/186-008 (accessed October 10, 2026).