Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 312 › Conversation 312-024

Nixon & Haig on Vietnam War and Military Strikes

Tuesday, January 11, 1972 · 2:39 PM–3:32 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation312-024 on Tape 312 (tape position 03:40:11–03:41:43)StartTuesday, January 11, 1972 at 2:39 PMEndTuesday, January 11, 1972 at 3:32 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 312-024 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discussed recent military actions in Vietnam, specifically strikes against an AAA site and a radar site. Nixon questioned why the press was giving significant attention to these strikes, particularly those conducted above the DMZ. Haig confirmed the strikes and noted secondary explosions, while Nixon advised Haig to rest and take care of his health.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:40:11 – 03:41:43

part B, 1:37:59

312a.mp3
312b.mp3

NARA Description

On January 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 3:32 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 312-024 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 312-24

Date: January 11, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:39 pm and 3:43 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Haig's health

     News

     Vietnam
          -Military action
                -Press coverage

     Haig’s health

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

NixonOh, you made it [unintelligible] back? You feel like you've been run over by a train, right?
HaigYes sir.
NixonWell, now listen, tomorrow you take an extra hour, you understand?
HaigYes sir.
NixonHenry said there isn't anything much going on. He's at home today and take advantage of this time. It doesn't happen often.
HaigWell I will, Mr. President.
NixonYeah. What's the news?
HaigWell, very quiet. We knocked out an AAA site across the border again today with five strikes in North Vietnam.
NixonYeah.
HaigAnd got secondary explosions.
NixonWhy's the press give such plays to this? Because Ziegler was in in and they were asking him some questions. What play did it get?
HaigWell, yesterday they asked him questions about the strikes the week before and we've confirmed up to four in North Vietnam, and one was forty miles above the DMZ, which made it a protective reaction strike in North Vietnam.
NixonYeah. It's the, it's the fact it's above the DMZ that gets them excited, isn't it?
HaigThat's it, but we have to expect a little flare-up after that, which is good. We knocked out a radar site, and one secondary explosion in ammunition dump.
NixonYeah. It's fine.
HaigSo we're in good shape there.
NixonWell you, get some rest tonight. Don't go back and eat that—eat a big, tough dinner. Just have soup and milk and go to bed.
HaigYes, sir.
NixonWill you? That's, that's what, that's what does it, you see.
HaigYes, sir.
NixonNo liquor.
HaigRight, sir.
NixonMilk and soup and go to bed.
HaigThank you, Mr. President.
NixonOkay.
HaigThank you.

Also recorded on January 11, 1972

  • 018-065 2:39 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 3:43 pm.
  • 312-022 2:39 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 3:32 pm.
  • 312-023 2:39 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 3:32 pm.
  • 312-025 2:39 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 3:32 pm.
  • 018-066 3:43 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:49 pm.
  • 312-026 3:43 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 3:49 pm.
  • 018-067 3:49 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 312-027 3:49 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 4:02 pm.

All 30 conversations from January 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 312-024, January 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/312-024 (accessed November 13, 2026).