Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 238 › Conversation 238-013

Nixon phone call with Moorer on Vietnam War and Operation Linebacker II

Saturday, December 30, 1972 · 12:35 PM–12:37 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)Conversation238-013 on Tape 238StartSaturday, December 30, 1972 at 12:35 PMEndSaturday, December 30, 1972 at 12:37 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 238-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed Admiral Thomas H. Moorer to draft a message to military commanders commending the courage and sacrifice of forces involved in the recent bombing operations in Vietnam. Nixon emphasized the necessity of maintaining resolve and morale despite domestic political criticism of the air campaign, asserting that the pressure on the North Vietnamese had been effective. This directive served to ensure that service members understood their efforts were recognized by the administration as a critical factor in achieving peace.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 42% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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So Admiral, I just wanted you to send out a message to the various commanders who were involved in these operations in the past 10 days or so.
You could say that we're talking presently.
And all of this appreciation of the nation for their
courage and sacrifice of achieving a just and honorable peace in Vietnam.
I think they should know that it is not going to go unnoticed.
You know, with all these jackasses that have jumped to what we've done now, they see why we did it now.
Great cause.
The most important thing is the message you sent should be one that doesn't look like eroding or anything like that, you know, because we've still got to tell a lot of the good shit to do.
But just to say that you have the president's presence and appreciation of the nation for their sacrifice and their courage in this difficult period.
So he'll
You sent a message out to your name and said you were talking to the president alone.
Do you want me to convey that to him for the new year?
Fine.
Fine.
This, of course, is a, well, we can't say it.
This, as you know, involves this going to be a very significant frank capitulation by the other side.
They would never go back to the table under this circumstance.
We're saying the bombing would never have any effect.
Well, it's had its effect, right?
Well, I'm not flying those damn planes.
I'm not risking anything except a little politics that these guys risk their lives, and I know that.
So, uh, that's what it comes.

NARA Description

On December 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:35 pm to 12:37 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 238-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 238-13

Date: December 30, 1972
Time: 12:35 pm - 12:37 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer.

[See Conversation No. 158-51]

Also recorded on December 30, 1972

  • 158-051 12:35 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:35 pm to 12:37 pm.
  • 158-052 12:37 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:38 pm.
  • 238-014 12:37 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:38 pm.
  • 158-053 12:38 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:38 pm.
  • 238-015 12:38 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 12:38 pm.
  • 238-016 12:38 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 12:40 pm.
  • 158-054 12:40 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:40 pm.
  • 238-017 12:40 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 12:40 pm.

All 64 conversations from December 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 238-013, December 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/238-013 (accessed October 11, 2026).