Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 435 › Conversation 435-038

Nixon & Bull on Prisoners of War and White House events

Monday, May 14, 1973 · 5:15 PM–5:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation435-038 on Tape 435StartMonday, May 14, 1973 at 5:15 PMEndMonday, May 14, 1973 at 5:20 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 435-038 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met to finalize the logistics and guest list for an upcoming dinner honoring returned Prisoners of War (POWs). They discussed specific Congressional invitees recommended by William E. Timmons, as well as the event's arrangements, including tent requirements, security, and press coverage. Nixon provided input on the program format, ultimately deciding to keep his remarks brief and requesting coordination with Lucy Winchester and other staff members to ensure the event's success.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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And really, I mean, really, that's all right at all with this DOW thing.

That's right.

We're going to have to be aware of it.

That's what we're going to do.

I'm more kind of a typo than an explainer, because most of the time, I don't know.

I don't know why I don't put it on.

Now, originally, we thought it was a terrible thing.

We thought it was a horrible thing.

We thought it was a terrible thing.

And you're going to have to increase our investment in your lawyers.

Anyway, this helps us .

I'm going to have to address just five people.

But wait, you know, I was thinking of the big five.

There's the big five.

The big five, President Rotel.

And then the armed services, the citizen service, and a very great head of the corporation, who commands the government, but not 408.

And that's what the relationship is.

The only wild card, sort of, in a working building, because he has been, the other year, an employee of my affairs.

I'm not going to, you know, get away with this, but he doesn't make any sense to me, and, you know, for, uh, foreign relations, no, sir, he does not.

He can't lie.

The, uh, the tape there, you know, definitely, if we're going to end up with that Thursday night, we're going to be able to do it as soon as we're there.

Everyone is expected, um, just to be a little bit tight in there.

Also, I'm just going to have to get to Lucy.

Well, I was going to suggest that you don't have others.

And if you say that anyone can be, just read remarks from the people.

And this is the opportunity right now.

They would do it in that light of scarring.

Otherwise, you'd go down and say, yeah, I'll just come in and speak very briefly about it.

And I agree that there's so many here.

Yeah, OK. And I had all three.

And I had a few remarks.

And then I'll be fine.

You want press coverage on that thing?

Some of the other men may be together.

Well, all right.

The weather in North Carolina is not too hot or it's not raining.

I can't show you outside the enclosures.

Because probably there are some people, the first guy that you're going is okay, but you're not crossing things on that road.

I don't know what we can do with it.

And then maybe we'll have to be finished by...

There is a .

By and large,

What I mean is, we've got to get this thing next week done.

NARA Description

On May 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:15 pm to 5:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 435-038 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 435-38

Date: May 15, 1973
Time: 5:15 pm-5:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       Prisoners of war [POWs] dinner
                                      -27-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

       -Invitations
               -Number
               -William E. Timmons’s recommendation
                       -Congressional leaders and wives
                                              -James O. Eastland, John C. Stennis, Strom
                        Thurmond, F. Edward Hebert, William G. Bray, George H.
                        Mahon, Elford A. Cederberg, Milton R. Young and John L.
                        McClellan
                       -Foreign Relations Committee
                       -Wild card
                               -[Unintelligible name]
                                       -POW, Missing in action [MIA] affairs
                       -Timmons
                       -Foreign Relations Committee
       -Arrangements
               -Tent
               -Lucy A. Winchester
                       -Thelma C. (“Pat”) (Ryan) Nixon
                               -Security [?]
               -Rex W. Scouten [?]
               -President’s meeting with POWs
                       -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                       -Thelma C. (“Pat”) (Ryan) Nixon
                       -Briefing
                               -Press coverage
               -Receiving line
                       -Weather
                       -Possible location
                       -Duration
                       -Photograph
                               -Noel Hamm [?]
                                       -US Marine Corps officer
                                       -Winchester’s support
               -Entertainment
                       -Paul W. Keyes

President’s schedule
       -Golf
                                               -28-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                      -Charles W. Colson [?]
               -Henry A. Kissinger

Bull left at 5:20 pm.

Also recorded on May 14, 1973

435-035 5:01 PM · 4 min — Ronald L. Ziegler and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:01 pm to 5:08 pm.
435-036 5:08 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:08 pm and 5:15 pm.
435-037 5:08 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:08 pm and 5:15 pm.
917-040 5:10 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:10 pm to 5:15 pm.
917-042 5:17 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:17 pm and 6:16 pm.
436-014 5:20 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Lawrence M. Higby met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:20 pm to 5:42 pm.
435-039 5:21 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:21 pm.
435-040 5:21 PM · 1 hr 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and Doug Parker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:21 pm to 6:45 pm.

All 102 conversations from May 14, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 435-038, May 14, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/435-038 (accessed October 1, 2026).