Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 339 › Conversation 339-017

Nixon & Woods on Vietnam War and Air Force

Monday, May 15, 1972 · 9:36 PM–9:39 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose MaryConversation339-017 on Tape 339 (tape position 02:49:27–02:52:29)StartMonday, May 15, 1972 at 9:36 PMEndMonday, May 15, 1972 at 9:39 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 339-017 ↗

President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, discuss the ongoing intensification of the air war in Vietnam, specifically referencing a target count of 1,100. The conversation also involves logistical planning for a meeting at Camp David, where the President intends to host an unidentified individual for breakfast. These discussions reflect the President's strategic focus on military operations and the management of sensitive, high-level scheduling.

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 108.1 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 02:49:27 into the tape and ends around 02:52:29.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:49:23Now, with regard to Vietnam, you're sure that the Air Force is going to need to pound the hell out of them now.
2:49:27They want an 1100.
2:49:28I want an 1100 as well.
2:49:29Let me talk to you today, all right?
2:49:30You all right now?
2:49:30I haven't decided over here where to stand yet.
2:50:06Now, you told him that he needed to come up to Camp David.
2:50:08And then, I'll tell you what, I'll go breakfast on him.
2:50:42It's a good rifle.
2:51:25That's a lot.
2:51:25Okay.
2:51:25All right, then.
2:52:00We'll, uh, I believe that we can't do it tomorrow night.
2:52:01We still have to do it in a couple of days.
2:52:03So we won't take it.
2:52:28OK. All right.

On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:36 pm to 9:39 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 339-017 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 339-17

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 9:36-9:39 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

[See Conversation No. 24-128]
  • 024-126 9:29 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 9:29 pm to 9:35 pm.
  • 339-015 9:29 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:29 pm to 9:35 pm.
  • 024-127 9:35 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:35 pm and 9:36 pm.
  • 339-016 9:35 PM · 10 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 9:35 pm and 9:36 pm.
  • 024-128 9:36 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 9:36 pm to 9:39 pm.
  • 024-129 9:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Lukash talked on the telephone from 9:40 pm to 9:43 pm.
  • 339-018 9:40 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Lukash met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:40 pm to 9:43 pm.
  • 024-130 9:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ann Duggan talked on the telephone from 9:44 pm to 9:45 pm.

Conversation 339-017, May 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/339-017 (accessed October 9, 2026).