Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 531 › Conversation 531-008

Nixon, Parker & Colson on Marine Corps and University of Maryland

Monday, June 28, 1971 · 4:47 PM–4:49 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Parker, T. Warren; Colson, Charles W.; White House photographerConversation531-008 on Tape 531 (tape position 00:17:12–00:19:34)StartMonday, June 28, 1971 at 4:47 PMEndMonday, June 28, 1971 at 4:49 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 531-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with T. Warren Parker, facilitated by Charles W. Colson, to commend Parker's upcoming plans to attend the University of Maryland and his service in the Marine Corps. The brief meeting included a formal photo opportunity and the presentation of a presidential gift to honor Parker's service. During the exchange, Nixon shared personal reflections on his own World War II military experiences and expressed a desire to keep Parker out of future combat.

  • T. Warren Parker
  • Marine Corps
  • University of Maryland
  • Presidential gift
  • World War II
  • Military service

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

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We're here since 1967, right?
All right.
That's right.
Come over here.
We're going to get you a picture you can take later.
You better remember that all of them today is that you're close to driving over this.
Thank you.
Well, I think it was a pretty good work.
Very much.
I'm kind of lost.
He seems pretty good.
He's the best.
He's going into brain groups.
I know.
You were in the brain group.
You were in the brain group.
DLT program.
Yeah.
Maryland?
Yes.
You're going to Maryland, right?
How old?
22.
Good job.
He said, he said, you're a mature 22.
You can go on.
I'm a mature 26.
Well, what are we going to give him?
Should we give him, like, a paperweight?
Yeah, that's it.
We're going to give him a paperweight.
We're going to give him a paperweight.
We're going to give him a paperweight.
We're going to give him a paperweight.
We're going to give him a paperweight.
They ate and they died.
They could fight, but they couldn't cook.
I was, uh, out where I was, I was out there in the, uh, the city.
They, uh, I ate with the, uh, wearing the skirts and my hair was on fire.
The Air Force got all the food, the seas, the Marines had to pick it up, they had to pick it up.
So I did, but they weren't strong enough.
Well, I wish you well.
We'll try to keep you out of war.
Thank you.
I think we will.

NARA Description

On June 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, T. Warren Parker, Charles W. Colson, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:47 pm to 4:49 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 531-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 531-8

Date: June 28, 1971
Time: 4:47 pm - 4:49 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with T. Warren Parker and Charles W. Colson; the White House photographer
was present at the beginning of the meeting.

      Parker's service
           -Colson

      Arrangements for photograph

      Parker
           -Plans
                -Marine Corps
                -University of Maryland

      Presentation of gift by President

      Marines
           -President's World War II experience
      Vietnam

Parker and Colson left at 4:49 pm.

Also recorded on June 28, 1971

  • 531-004 4:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Barbara ("Bobbie") (Greene) Kilberg, John D. Ehrlichman, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:39 pm to 4:41 pm.
  • 531-005 4:41 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jerome M. Rosow, James D. Hodgson, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:41 pm to 4:44 pm.
  • 531-006 4:44 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:44 pm.
  • 531-007 4:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, C. Fred Bergsten, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:44 pm to 4:47 pm.
  • 531-009 4:49 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William E. Casselman, II, White House photographer, and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:49 pm to 4:52 pm.
  • 531-010 4:52 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William E. Kriegsman, Stephen B. Bull, John C. Whitaker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:52 pm to 4:54 pm.
  • 531-011 4:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, Ronald A. Harley, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:54 pm to 4:56 pm.
  • 531-012 4:56 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:56 pm and 5:07 pm.

All 69 conversations from June 28, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 531-008, June 28, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/531-008 (accessed October 5, 2026).