Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 6 › Conversation 006-019

Nixon phone call with Woods on Alvin E. O'Konski and Vietnam War

Tuesday, June 29, 1971 · 9:08 AM–9:09 AM ET · White House Telephone ·1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  [Unknown person(s)]Conversation006-019 onTape 6 (tape position 00:14:35–00:15:46)StartTuesday, June 29, 1971 at 9:08 AMEndTuesday, June 29, 1971 at 9:09 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 006-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, discuss the distribution of cigars to political allies, specifically Congressman Alvin E. O'Konski. The President expresses appreciation for O'Konski's recent speech defending the administration's Vietnam policy. Finding that the specific Nicaraguan cigars previously gifted are out of stock, Nixon directs Woods to send a standard box of White House cigars to the Congressman as a token of gratitude.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President.
Hello.
Hi, Rose.
Do you happen to have, by chance, just one box of those foul cigars from Nicaragua left?
Or did you give them all out?
I noticed the little notes.
You picked very good people.
Al Okonski is a great cigar smoker.
He made the best speech of the day yesterday on defending us on Vietnam.
No.
You're allowed.
We sent all the ones that he gave you, yes.
We got those names from Clark McGregor.
I know, I know.
Well, McGregor couldn't have picked better names.
They were terrific.
But Okonsky came up to our surprise and made a great speech for us yesterday.
Oh, great.
Mark, we don't have a box of cigars left, do we?
No.
We sent them all out.
I'll tell you what you do.
Just get a, not a box of the Flamenco, just of the regular White House cigars we have.
They're not the Flamenco's, but...
You know, the kind we have.
The kind they pass around at dinners or something?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And just send with appreciation.
With deep appreciation.
R.M.
All right.
Okay.
Okay, Rose.
Okay.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On June 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 9:08 am to 9:09 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 006-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 6-19

Date: June 29, 1971
Time: 9:08 am - 9:09 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

[See Conversation No. 530-3G]

     Congressman Alvin E. O'Konski
         -Cigars from Nicaragua
         -Cigars
         -Speech on Vietnam
         -Clark MacGregor

Rose Mary Woods conferred with an unknown person.

     Cigars

[End of conferral]

     O'Konski
         -Cigars
              -Note from the President

Also recorded on June 29, 1971

  • 006-012 8:32 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:32 am and 8:42 am.
  • 530-002 8:32 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:32 am and 8:42 am.
  • 006-013 8:42 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 8:42 am to 8:44 am.
  • 006-014 8:45 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:45 am.
  • 006-015 8:46 AM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 8:46 am to 8:47 am.
  • 006-016 8:47 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:47 am and 9:03 am.
  • 006-017 9:03 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alvin E. O???Kinski talked on the telephone from 9:03 am to 9:06 am.
  • 006-018 9:07 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:07 am.

All 54 conversations from June 29, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 006-019, June 29, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/006-019 (accessed September 18, 2026).