Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 336 › Conversation 336-064

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Military Strategy

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 7:14 PM–7:25 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation336-064 on Tape 336 (tape position 03:14:16–03:23:55)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 7:14 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 7:25 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 336-064 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the military strategy for Vietnam, specifically focusing on the upcoming announcement of a blockade and intensified air strikes. They debated the strategic targeting of North Vietnamese petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) facilities to cripple supply lines, emphasizing the psychological impact of such strikes over other infrastructure targets. Additionally, they addressed the diplomatic fallout with the Soviet Union and managed preparations for briefing Congressional leaders on these aggressive military escalations.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:14:16 – 03:23:55

part B, 1:12:12

336a.mp3

336b.mp3

336c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:14 pm to 7:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-064 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 336-64

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: 7:14 -7:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -President’s forthcoming speech
                -Soviet Summit
                     -Possible cancellation
                            -US response

                       -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -Kissinger’s briefing
                 -Handling of questions
                       -Soviet ships on high seas
           -Blockade
                 -Weapons and supplies
           -Air strikes
                 -Time
                 -Comparison to 1966-67
                 -Petroleum, oils, and lubricants [POL]
                 -William Yandell Elliott
                       -World War II
                 -Targets
                       -POL dumps
                             -Psychological impact
                             -Priority
                       -Railroads
                       -Power plants
                             -Destruction
                       -POLs and power plants
                 -Effectiveness to date
                       -Supplies on hand
                       -Melvin R. Laird
                 -Meeting with Congressional leaders
                       -Kissinger
                       -William P. Rogers
                       -Laird
                 -Kissinger’s meeting with Dobrynin
                 -President’s meeting with Congressional leaders
                       -Length
                       -Questions
                             -Rogers and Laird
           -Blockade
                 -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                       -Position
                 -Gen. Creighton Abrams
                       -Position
                 -Laird
                       -The President’s view
                       -Political plans

Kissinger left at 7:25 pm.

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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You want a gentle peace, not a peace that is just betrayed by the war.

At this moment, we must stand together for the purpose of this war.

As so often in the past, we Americans do not choose to resort to war.

It has been forced upon us by an enemy that has shown utter contempt for every order we have made for peace.

That is why tonight I ask for your support of this decision, a decision which has only one purpose, not to expand the war, not to escalate the war, but to end this war and to win the kind of peace that will last.

With God's help, with your support.

Henry, there's just one other point I think I should talk to you about briefly, not just about changing the speech, but you guys mentioned George, and maybe there's a little bit about him in the next slide.

How do we advance the policy of supply of the handoff of the Soviet Union and other countries?

— 1 min 13 s with no transcribed speech —

What you say about what happened for some of them?

What do you, I don't know, what the leadership, the guidance, do you want to give them?

I don't know.

What I mean is that if the story cancels,

Yes, and the stockbrokers are very excited to test the post-mortem.

So they're very excited, whatever the choice is.

You see, I read it on the line.

I didn't notice it.

I think you just want to leave it there, because that's what the ball has to do.

But I'm going to go back to you, Mr. President.

Well, if you could send a copy of the speech to the reader, we'll arrive at the end of your time.

Yeah, sure.

I'm going to develop a little brain system.

My voice.

Yeah, I know, but the voices.

The old one was not so.

I'll put it up very, I might say, on the can of gold.

You know, the great thing, you know, this is an old film.

It's a very old film.

But he wants to do this again.

He can't expect me to do this on it.

You're absolutely right.

The way I look at it, what about the ships?

we won't face that situation.

But I would have to say that we did whatever was necessary to provide that program for the president.

Whatever was necessary to stop the military from getting much supply.

We're going to stop the bomb tomorrow night.

Hell yeah.

I think we should put it at a time.

We've got some time to do so.

I agree with that.

We haven't got much of an air force that can get into the airport.

Maybe we can't get all of them into the airport.

But they don't say it's 66, 67.

They'd add up and deal out a crime, but they don't do a complicated job.

But I also suggest something else.

Do you remember the Wild Bill of William Gantle?

William Gantle, the director of the war, worked in Britain.

He was able to take the SAC credits and

In other words, I think it's about a standpoint of psychology.

The railway lines have to be done.

But what I see is the POL surge.

Now find out where ever it is, there it is, and go in and get the P.O.L.

Because you get the P.O.L.

and it's not right.

The only argument I would say is that I didn't think that we'd get those power plants.

I didn't put the damn city in charge.

That's all.

That's where we go.

P.O.L.

of the power plants.

Did you see anything?

We concentrate on that.

P.O.L.

over the place whenever we must have some intelligence on the P.O.L.

That's why I don't think they've got four months of P.O.L.

left.

That's true.

So, you then are not going to be present for my meeting?

No, but I'll be glad if you come in at the beginning of the meeting.

Also recorded on May 8, 1972

336-057 6:34 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
336-058 6:34 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
336-059 6:34 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
336-060 6:34 PM · 18 sec — 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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
336-065 7:25 PM · 53 sec — 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 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.
336-066 7:25 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.
336-067 7:25 PM · 26 sec — 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 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.
336-068 7:25 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.

All 118 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Military Strategy April 11, 1972 · 12 min
Nixon phone call with Haig on Vietnam War and Air strikes February 9, 1972 · 5 min
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Naval gunfire April 3, 1972 · 7 min
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Military Strategy April 4, 1972 · 5 min
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Military Strategy April 5, 1972 · 9 min
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Vietnam War and Air strikes April 15, 1972 · 7 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 336-064, May 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/336-064 (accessed November 2, 2026).