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Conversation: 329-013

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Start Date: 6-Apr-1972 9:26 AM

End Date: 6-Apr-1972 10:10 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Kissinger, Henry A.Vogt, John W., Jr.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:23:22

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:08:25

329a.mp3

329b.mp3

329c.mp3

329d.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 6, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and John W. Vogt, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:26 am to 10:10 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 329-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 329-13

Date: April 6, 1972
Time: 9:26 am -10:10 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     State of the Union speech

     Edward M. Kennedy
         -Charles W. Colson
              -IBM
              -Veterans issue

Henry A. Kissinger and John W. Vogt entered at an unknown time after 9:26 am

     [Unintelligible]

     Vietnam
          -Air strikes
                -Surface to Air Missiles [SAM]
          -Naval gunfire
                -Bombing of North
          -Air strikes
                -SAM sites
                -B-52s
                      -Use against north
                -Target areas
                                     8

                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. 10/06)
                                                      Conv. No. 329-13 (cont.)

-Naval gunfire
      -Damage
            -Reports
-Vogt's assignment
      -Mission
            -7th Air Force
            -Creighton W. Abrams
-Air Force
      -Inadequacy of performance
            -Performance
      -Prisoners of war [POWs]
      -Performance
            -Results
-Vogt's instructions
      -Bombing
      -Cambodia
      -Laos
-Air strikes
      -Weather
      -Results
-North Vietnamese offensive
      -The president's support of military
            -Son Pei [sp?]
            -Cambodia
            -Laos
            -Riots
      -Results
-Naval commanders
      -Instructions
-Thomas H. Moorer
-Laos operation
-Vogt's mission
      -Rescue operation
      -The President's support
      -Probable casualties
-Haiphong
      -Operation plans
-Air strikes
      -SAM sites
      -B-3 area
            -B-52s
                  -Number of strikes
                                     9

                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. 10/06)
                                                      Conv. No. 329-13 (cont.)

                  -Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
      -Control
            -Ground radar
-Weather
      -SAMs
            -Problems
                  -F-105s
      -Bomber operations
      -Changes
            -Clearing
                  -Duration
-Air strikes
      -SAMs
            -Movement
-North Vietnamese offensive
      -Artillery
            -William P. Rogers
            -Quang Tri
            -Highway
            -Countermeasures
                  -Laos
-Vogt's assignment
      -Vogt's record
      -Abrams
            -Record in World War II and Vietnam
            -Saigon
            -Bangkok
      -Reports to the President
            -Abrams
            -Risks
            -Instructions
      -Air strikes
            -New strategy
            -New ideas
                  -Lyndon B. Johnson
            -Concentration of forces
            -Napoleon Bonaparte's use of artillery
                  -Effectiveness
            -World Wars I and II
                  -Concentration of forces
-Nguyen Van Thieu
      -Air Force
                                 10

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/06)
                                                       Conv. No. 329-13 (cont.)

-Air Force strategy
      -B-52s
            -Airfields
      -Carriers
            -Number
-Washington Special Action Group [WSAG]
      -Meeting
-Vogt's assignment
      -The President's confidence
      -Relations with Abrams and Frederick C. Weyand
      -Laos
      -Air Force strikes
            -Impact on negotiations
                  -Kennedy's comments
      -Burden of responsibility
      -Headquarters
            -Reorganization
            -Kissinger’s conversation with Moorer
            -Timing of changes
-Ground action
      -News reports
            -Kissinger’s analysis
                  -Tactics
                  -Moore
                  -North Vietnamese artillery
            -Vogt's analysis
      -Thieu
            -Strategic reserves
      -III corps
      -B-3 front
            -Air strikes
-Air strikes
      -B-3 area
            -US losses
            -Impact on North Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
      -Effect of US strikes
      -Thieu
      -Casualties
      -Air strikes
            -Areas of concentration
-Air strikes
                                                 11

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 329-13 (cont.)

                -B-52s
                      -DMZ
                      -Importance
           -Vogt's assignment
                -The president's backing
                -Vogt as student at Harvard
                -Importance
                      -US foreign policy

Kissinger and Vogt left at 9:55 am.

           -Air Force
                 -Future
                 -Importance of Vogt's mission

     Air Force
          -Changes in warfare
          -Cuba
          -Argentina

     Vietnam
          -Vogt's assignment
                -Importance
                      -Vogt's conversation with Kissinger
                -The President's backing
          -Abrams
                -Future
                -Melvin R. Laird
          -Vogt
                -Future
          -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
          -Gen. Robert E. Cushman, Jr.
          -Vogt
                -Briefings
                      -Cambodia
                            -Governors
          -Air strikes
                -Intensity
                      -Damage
                -Past strikes
                      -Johnson
                -Kissinger
                                         12

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 329-13 (cont.)

           -The president
           -Rogers
           -Laird
           -B-52s
           -Public response

Publicity
     -Property tax issue
     -People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
           -Impact on public
           -Kissinger
           -Rogers
           -ABC
           -Time
     -Air strikes
           -B-52S

White House staff
     -John K. Andrews, Jr.
     -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
     -William L. Safire
           -Compared with Price
           -Work
     -Speeches
           -Presentation
           -Busing
           -John Reagan (“Tex”) McCrary
                -Advice

Public relations
     -Philadelphia trip
            -Headlines
            -Pictures
                  -The President with Frank L. Rizzo and John Cardinal Krol
     -Speech
            -Planning
            -John A. Scali's advice
            -McCrary
            -Price
     -Arrangements
            -Dwight L. Chapin
            -David N. Parker
                                              13

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 329-13 (cont.)

                -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -"Front Page" publicity
          -Kennedy
                -Handling of public relations
          -The President's handling of public relations in 1960's
          -White House staff
                -Need to support the President
                -John D. Ehrlichman and Price
          -Criticisms
          -Headlines
                -Control by White House of news content
          -The President's appearances on TV
                -Planning
                -Length
                -Ziegler
                -Content of news coverage
                -Photo opportunities
                      -Subject
                      -Captions
                      -An Easter shot
                           -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                           -Tricia Nixon Cox
                           -Craig S. Campbell
                      -TV coverage
                -Photo coverage
                      -Plans
          -A family picture
                -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                -Quality
          -Mark I. Goode
                -Advice
                      -Judgment
                -Technical advice for TV

Haldeman left at 10:10 am.