Conversation 585-004

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Now we've got our official picture over here.

Here you go.

That's what we are.

Straighten it up here.

All right.

He said, oh, he said, oh, here, two months of desktop.

I said, all right.

He was trying to make something of his, Mr. President.

We didn't know what to do, but we just did.

Now we have three months.

Joe was giving this out there, and I was laughing.

I said, can't you see?

That's impressive.

If it was all real dollars, then that would be all right.

It's just the top of the bottom.

National Council of Administration meeting.

And our adjutants and quartermasters are meeting presently.

I wondered if you could, uh, deal with the fact that you get an awful kick out of it after we can go over and trade it and see if Congress got it for some money.

You got another one of these?

Yes, sir.

Can I have one dollar, sir?

Yes, sir.

That, uh, that, uh, that, uh, that, uh, that, uh, that, uh,

Let me say that I, uh, I, yes, sir, I, uh, appreciate your comments and your, uh, your recognition of the N.W.A.

for you later.

And to that next person, the N.W.A.

has seen a lot of gun-sized bombs.

But it's in the name of, uh, you know, your, your standing up to it.

I'm sure you do.

You can't, you can't promise anything.

No, but, uh,

We're coming to the end of a long and difficult trail.

It's going to work out.

We've just got to have confidence in it.

And you all got to think that there is a thing that could be done with regard to our views.

It hasn't been done.

And I lay this out, which won't be done.

It already came back.

By that I mean that

Once the negotiating track is totally closed, it can still work.

It can still work.

I never tell these poor women that we just want to work and this and that because that's wrong.

We'll go around and say, look, we'll just add in and bring our troops out.

They'll get the POWs.

They can receive that from us.

But anyway, my point is that we're prepared to take very small actions.

because we're not going to let those guys sit up there, and they're going to pay for everything they've done.

So I guess it's really you're on the right side, but you've got to have a little bit of confidence in them.

In fact, if they say they wonder, we've considered all these offers, and we've talked to them, good God, we've talked to them, we've considered everything.

We've talked to the Russians, we've talked to the Chinese, we've talked to everybody.

So just hold them.

Yes, sir, and I have some resolutions here, Mr. President, that were adopted by the 1971 National Convention that I'd like to present to you named upon Americanism, national security, and veterans' benefits.

And let me assure you, and I'll reiterate the standard of our organization, that we stand shoulder to shoulder with you as far as Southeast Asia is concerned.

We are 100% with you as our commanding chief.

And I can assure you that.

The main thing we know now is that as we come to the end, that we have to give up and end the war in a way that will basically be a letting down.

My 50,000 Americans have died.

You can't do that.

These guys have got to, if they give up their lives, we have got to see that we accomplish something, and we can.

But you think so, because you heard me get this speech three times out of three commanders.

He's not restricting on this, sir.

What he meant is that they're like, we're going to do it.

It's coming, let me say.

It's going to, you know, we'll make another announcement on withdrawal and so forth.

I'm sure you want it.

As long as there's one of you up there who don't beat Americans, and they're not Americans, we're going to be bombing them, too.

But that is the way to kill it.

See, we've got a few cars to play, too.

But, uh, you know, doesn't matter, Mr. President, that deal doesn't matter.

I couldn't wait to get out and call somebody.

I just had to call somebody.

That was how it appeared that Dave was having the greatest time.

I had nothing but favorable comments.

You've met these women.

Yes, I have, Mr. President.

They're some of the greatest women in the world.

You know, I want more than anything else before I leave this office.

Good for you.

is to have the privilege of getting some of those coming back and, you know, bring some of their wives and kids to see them.

God, that would be a great thing.

We should have a great party over here.

That would be good.

Mr. President, this is our latest edition of our VFW.

We should have this.

No, that's right.

I can't say this far enough.

We have not stopped that promise ever in all.

It goes to a million and seven hundred thousand people.

You really made our convention.

I'll make this year what we want to do with the VFWs.

I've got a group of leaders we should probably share.

But I think we should do their commercial work.

I will not be willing to talk about it.

Please hand it to me.

It's your discretion.

If you want to make it, I'll be glad to come and give you a shot at it.

Well, when is your discretion?

The first weekend of March, the 7th.

March the 7th.

That must be a very good date.

That's Tuesday.

And we give our board, we don't know who it's going to be yet, but it'll probably be Dr. Morgan.

I know the committee's thinking.

Correct.

He's my congressman.

You're Morgan.

That's it.

Well, let me tell you, it's Dr. Morgan.

It's the date after the election.

Tuesday, that's the last day of our conference, Mr. President.

Excuse me, on Tuesday.

It'll be Tuesday.

I'm afraid not.

If I can, I'll have it.

You know what I'm saying?

I think I can tell you the possibility that I might have to be on a tour at that time.

Just the possibility, right?

I think.

But it's just in between.

But I've got a lot of time.

If you get busy, I'll tell you.

I'll be sure to tell all of you.

Mr. President, I want to cover your attention to our membership.

We're very proud.

We have almost 50% of our membership after about a month and a half of fiscal year already.

We're almost 800,000 members.

We have 1,700,000 left.

We must be doing something.

By that, you mean dues?

Dues, yes, to membership.

Over 800,000 members in the first month of our membership, right?

We still have it.

11 months to go.

Oh, that's what you're doing.

Yes, sir.

We begin in August, and we have 800,000 already out of 1.7 million.

You're going to draw those numbers?

Yes, sir.

I would imagine about 450,000.

That's great.

Give us just something before the action of life and so forth.

And I will write, even though I see in the timing, there will be a post out there in the road up there out there.

Every other two years, I have kids, and that's their life.

It's very important because your neighbors get it, of course, too.

But these young guys, you know, they have loose ends.

They come back.

I think the country didn't appreciate it in the rest.

And we have a reputation for it.

I mean, that place they build it, people do appreciate it.

I mean, this is just the example of that.

I build them up.

I say, we bring them in.

We work on it.

We talk about it.

We're going to be part of something worthwhile, boys.

Because if we have some of these things worked out, we're working hard.

We had many, I wouldn't say, well I know one for sure, in two years we'll have a state commander from North Carolina to Vietnam.

We had many post commanders that were Vietnam veterans, county and district commanders.

They're coming up with a new organization now.

They're taking their place and they're doing very well.

They're pretty good.

Every 100% that I've been paid.

just don't understand some of the peoples and minorities in the country that the Vietnam veterans against the war and these groups are against them.

Well, we've all been in the service.

There's always a certain number that, you know, raise out bad apples.

And this has been very much more difficult.

We stopped making apples.

We're on television and we stopped thinking of the fact that, you know, some of the politicians have been in both Republicans and the Democrats.

It's not part of the groups.

As a matter of fact, when we think about it, I don't see how these kids are probably going to stand up.

How are they doing?

You know, they must have a lot of stuff, what it takes.

Because it would be so tempting just to go with them.

Joe had a great idea right before our convention.

He said he wanted to have a Vietnam Caucus at our national convention.

We had about 200 boys down there, Vietnam veterans, and they called us.

They were after us.

We met with them.

We exchanged ideas.

We got impression.

World War II, Mr. Brown.

Oh, yeah.

I was 17, actually.

I figured that.

I'm 47.

17.

Gee whiz.

You're just about the last of the World War IIs.

Well, he had regained it on 51, I believe it was 51.

On 58.

I thought I regained it.

I remember when I, when I, when I was in our ward, we had a couple that had to be signed up by those stationed there first.

Those who would like to apply and receive it, they could do so.

And I read a letter and so forth.

It had to be 20, less than 30, I suggest it should have been less than 30, 25 overseas.

Your state's doing great out in California, of course.

California's having a good year, as indicated in the report.

Of course, they have a great intention.

What's your plan on travel?

Are you going to travel abroad?

Yes, I plan some trips.

I might say, Mr. President, I'm directing my energy now internally as far as the return of Vietnam veterans and jobs for Vietnam veterans.

You better get a narcotics program.

Yes, sir.

We had committee meetings here in Washington, Kansas City.

Our youth activities, our civil service, our legislative committees are all thinking seriously with this drug addiction and trying to help.

in their own communities, post their implementing programs to work in the communities.

Very much involved in this.

This is the one group, Mr. President,

As you know, it's gone down the line for the economic programs.

I'm going to hold this in my hands.

I'm sure the president's aware of some of the big releases we've made.

Oh, yes.

We burnt the hell out of that Kennedy.

I understand they're just...

He's all good, but he went too far.

Oh, that's a problem.

That's the thing that I didn't like.

You understand?

I didn't understand how to follow up with Dr. Anderson.

I mean, he's totally nuts, but some of these people say, Mike is basically a pessimist.

He always has been.

And Mike says, get out regardless of what happens.

And he says this at a seasonal deadline, which is totally wrong, in my opinion, because you set a deadline, and you're telling the enemy that we're going to get out regardless of what you do, but you're going to protect your people.

I don't want to embarrass Joe, Mr. President, but he's a Democrat.

He's in politics in Pennsylvania.

He's already made his decision in 1972.

He'll be working hard for you.

I don't care.

Well, I care.

I like him very much, but let me say, whatever he does in 1972, I have to say, that's not George's meaning.

He takes us on all the time about the domestic pain, but I don't care.

I don't want to be the one.

As far as I'm concerned, why not say it?

Because, mainly because me, and a hell of a lot of other people who run it off, the business people, they used to occur.

They did not.

They seriously did.

So that's what I judge people for.

They're going to be patriots.

I don't care what they have behind their names.

I like it better.

I know some of these others, frankly, except for Jackson, who isn't going to be nominated.

the other other calls on the other side must be over us they're the same line that's exactly right i can say this but nobody with any spiritual contribution i've been with my

political friends, and invariably they've said, there's no doubt about it, Richard Nixon will be re-elected.

That's how they feel.

They feel that you're doing a good job, Mr. President, and they don't believe in what these people are saying.

Muskie, McGovern, Kennedy, and all of them, the whole group, except they have said some nice things about Steve Jackson.

I don't believe that he can be nominated.

Screw him up.

Well, I ain't sure that we should know he's going to be nominated, because they've got to entertain him.

And they've got to have one of their own.

And they took students from the party.

That's why they can't make it.

But right now, they don't.

You agree?

I'll tell you, we announced today another announcement.

Kissinger's going to go there from China.

Your position was very sound.

I am sure that totally we're having a hard time to keep time on it.

But that's the issue.

And on the whole, we're trying to tell you that there isn't anybody in this country, I think, who is more realistic and hard-coached and hard-headed about going to visit with any communist than I am.

We're doing this with our forces, just as they're doing it with their forces.

And we're not selling anybody out wherever they are.

But it's a terrible work.

in our relationship with Soviet, in our relationship with Japanese, in our relationship with the Commonwealth of Southeast Asia, for us to

to start this dialogue.

That's what it's all about, you see.

But when some of the boys, the president running over there, changed his mind that these people are good people.

Like when I talked to Rameca the other day, he denied it.

It's cold steel with smiles.

He didn't use to smile, but now he's smiling.

But it's still cold steel.

I liked your comment the rest of the day.

They asked him about the trip and so forth.

And Joe's comment, he said, the other... To be honest, the opposed trip to the...

Yes, Joe's comment, Mr. President, was that if we've got a president that...

I see what you're talking about.

That feels that we need to go to Beijing.

We're glad he's glad that President Nixon, because he understands how it is better than any president we've ever had.

I thought that was a very... Well, you know, I don't claim much, but I do understand.

Yes, sir.

The other people, they understand.

Yes, sir.

I'm sure of that.

Very important, that's right.

Very important.

Well, I told you how we like Democrats.

If I got everyone, since you've been always turned out to be an Asian Democrat, I'm sure Gallagher, Lombardo, this one's going to make them bold about Packers.

He's a fighter.

He's got the grassroots of this organization with him all the way.

He can do no wrong.

You know, I've heard Congressman Morgan, he's a good man.

I've heard him say over and over and over.

He supports the President of the United States, the Southeast Asian International Affairs.

He stands up and he says it publicly.

And he loves this country, he believes in it.

Let me, let me strongly urge that you, that you do give it to him for this or for another reason.

Doc is an unsung hero.

You see, this man Fulbright is always in the news.

Doc's never in the news.

Doc is, Doc, Doc.

carries a heart over there, and he's respected by everybody.

Once we're in, I just think he'd be great.

He has supported, tell him that I said it, will you?

Yes, sir.

You're a very soft friend.

I'm not.

You've got to tell him.

Doc has been selected to succeed him already.

For Convert, he has the same gesture.

Does he?

I'm harsh.

He's driven us.

Why?

Really.

Art claimed a family, I guess, in Uniontown, which you know is the birthplace of General Marshall.

We're very proud of that.

Art Post, R.B.S.W.

Marshall.

No, sir, he was born in Uniontown.

He lived there.

He went to Uniontown.

But Art Post, R.B.S.W.

Post, is Bill and his birthday.

He's got a homecoming coming up in a couple weeks.

General James is coming over to deliver the principal address.

It's going to be a great night.

Let me give you your commandos.

Here's your presidential take away.

But here's something, we just got something here.

This is to prove what they call the

One is approved and the other is approved.

This is a specializing car dollar.

Don't give this to anybody.

Don't sell it for $3.

This is approved.

That's our dollar.

That's all we've got.

Thank you very much.

We haven't had a minute or two problem.

I can follow up with Jeff.

I'm sure one thing she don't know, Jeff, is that...

And the other thing is that we were able to start building this.

They paid a little bit of debt, you know, they got that thing back.

But we were able to make it $6,000, $79,000.

And there's no reason for it.

All right, you've got, you've also got, you've got, uh, our commander over there, uh, Sergeant Vig Johnson.

I just had a chance to, well, I guess you can't close things out with us, sir.

These two things, uh, I've told you how many times they look bad on the, uh, your side, and then the people on the other side.

Did you get yours?

I was wondering how you'd handle these things.

Right.

You're a devil, isn't he?

Ha, ha, ha, ha.

You a dog?

Yes, sir.

Every once in a while, I get up at halftime and I want to be in there.

You'll get it.

That's all I got.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.