Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 337 › Conversation 337-019

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and North Vietnamese offensive

Wednesday, May 10, 1972 · 1:05 PM–3:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation337-019 on Tape 337 (tape position 03:39:33–03:41:07)StartWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 1:05 PMEndWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 3:35 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 337-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met to review audio recordings and evaluate the military situation in Vietnam, specifically focusing on the ongoing North Vietnamese offensive. The discussion centered on comparing the combat capabilities of South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese forces, with particular attention to the deployment of tanks and the necessary counteractions. Nixon analyzed the performance and tactical responses of U.S. Navy, Army, and Air Force assets in relation to the conflict's evolving battlefield requirements.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.4 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 112.2 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 80.2 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 03:39:33 into the tape and ends around 03:41:07.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

3:41:44and plans for the wars of the future rather than those of the past.
3:41:48It's just that it was often the authority of the nation to have God's protection, but the same capabilities of the authority of the nation is indeed disturbing.
3:42:02Harry, for one of them, had a wife, and she's in prison for this one.
3:42:08Harry, I'm asking you to get to

NARA Description

On May 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 337-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 337-19

Date: May 10, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:02 and 3:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President played a recording.

     Vietnam
          -Weapons
               -Navy, Army, Air Force
               -South Vietnam compared with North Vietnam
               -Dien Bien Phu
                    -Henry A. Kissinger
          -North Vietnam offensive
               -South Vietnam capabilities
               -Tanks
                    -Counteraction
               -US response
                    -Navy, Army, Air Force

Also recorded on May 10, 1972

  • 337-015 12:35 PM · 32 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 12:35 pm and 12:36 pm.
  • 337-016 12:36 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:36 pm to 1:02 pm.
  • 337-017 1:05 PM · 5 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-018 1:05 PM · 7 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-020 1:05 PM · 4 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-021 1:05 PM · 21 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-022 1:05 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-023 1:05 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.

All 42 conversations from May 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 337-019, May 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/337-019 (accessed October 12, 2026).