Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 385 › Conversation 385-021

Nixon & Haig on Vietnam War and Military operations

Monday, December 11, 1972 · 5:42 PM–7:10 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation385-021 on Tape 385StartMonday, December 11, 1972 at 5:42 PMEndMonday, December 11, 1972 at 7:10 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 385-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to discuss escalating military pressure on North Vietnam, specifically focusing on the urgent need to reseed mines and intensify the frequency of B-52 bombing raids. Nixon expressed frustration with the progress of ongoing negotiations and emphasized his desire for a more aggressive tactical approach to gain leverage. The two concluded that the administration should prioritize consistent, nightly military strikes to force a breakthrough in the stalled peace process.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 73% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Now, one point in the military program, of course, is essential, and we have to do very, very soon, is reseating the mines.

Now, why don't we just do that now?

That's the main operation.

Okay.

I've been trying to get some sort of leverage for whatever the hell he's going to do tomorrow.

But maybe it's too late.

You see, there's this sort of hustle and hustle down.

Well, this is my last meeting.

I know.

I've been through associations.

I don't know if that just wears out.

We use it about twice.

And they use it on us, and she uses it on them.

And then you've got to act.

But, well, we may be finished with that.

But the way to handle it is a little deeper.

I had never approved of speaking

They're playing parallel.

I've never looked at anything like that.

I don't think it went down that good with them.

But it was the same thing.

But it couldn't have done anything.

But the goal is that we could continue to sit them every night out, every night.

That's what I asked my doctor.

Now, they didn't sit every night.

I asked more of that specifically.

I asked him about five times.

He said, yeah, but you're good.

Fine.

around the corner.

I just want them in here.

I don't give a god damn.

They never get anything out of you.

Yeah.

That's right.

Okay.

NARA Description

On December 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 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 385-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 385-21

Date: December 11, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Vietnam War
             -Military operations
                     -Reseeding of mines
                             -Timing
             -Negotiations
                     -Tactics
                             -Tone
                     -Recess
                             -Consultations
             -US bombing
                     -18th, 19th and 20th Parallels
                             -Effect
                             -Surface to air missiles [SAMs]
                     -B-52s
                             -Frequency of attacks
                                     -The President’s conversation with Adm. Thomas H.
                                      Moorer
                                     -Hearing by North Vietnamese
                                     -Hitting targets

Also recorded on December 11, 1972

034-047 5:37 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:37 pm to 5:42 pm.
034-048 5:42 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:42 pm and 7:49 pm.
385-017 5:42 PM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm.
385-018 5:42 PM · 7 min — 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 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm.
385-019 5:42 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm.
385-020 5:42 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm.
385-022 5:42 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm.
385-023 5:42 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:42 pm and 7:10 pm.

All 40 conversations from December 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 385-021, December 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/385-021 (accessed October 1, 2026).