Conversation: 700-005
Prev: 700-004 Next: 700-006Start Date: Monday, April 3, 1972 3:06 PM
End Date: Monday, April 3, 1972 3:20 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.); Rush, [David] Kenneth; Kissinger, Henry A.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:33:25
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:48:29
NARA Description:
On April 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, [David] Kenneth Rush, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:06 am to 10:20 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 700-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 700-5
Date: April 3, 1972
Time: 10:06 am - 10:20 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Thomas H. Moorer, [David] Kenneth Rush and Henry A. Kissinger.
Greetings
Rush's new job
Easter egg roll
-Weather
Vietnam
-Purpose of meeting
-Moorer
-Rush's Attendance
-David Packard
-Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] meetings
-Chain of command
-The President as Commander-In-Chief
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 700-5 (cont.)
-Melvin R. Laird
-Briefing
-Orders
-Arrival time
-Reprimand
-Arrival time
-Orders
-Air strikes
-Orders
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Number
-Weather
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.’s reaction
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Abrams's reaction
-Abrams's conduct
-Chances for promotion
-Behavior
-Proposals for use of air power
-Defense Department reports
-Inaccuracies
-Temporizing
-US reaction
-Massive retaliation
-Air power
-Battle of the bulge
-Bad weather
-Navy
-Carriers on station
-Number
-Use Of B-52s
-Recommendations
-Effectiveness
-Surface to air missiles [SAMs]
-The President's sources of information
-Inadequacies
-Briefings
-Orders
-Abrams
-Cancellation of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam [MACV] staff
social functions
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 700-5 (cont.)
-Proposals for counteroffensive
-Use of air power
-Surprise
-B-3 area
-Tanks, ground forces
-MACV
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-Concentration
-B-3 area
-Dong Hoi
-Air strikes
-Delays
-Weather
-Laird’s talk with Kissinger
-Implementation
-Weather
-Effectiveness
-ARVN
-Risks for Air Force
-Compared with Battle of the Bulge
-North Vietnamese missile sites
-Mobility
-Abrams and John S. McCain, Jr.
-Commander in Chief Pacific [CINCPAC]
-Requests for authority to attack missile sites
-Tanks
-Mobile artillery
-DMZ
-Reports to the President
-Secretary of Defense
-Orders
-Unsanitized reports
-Abrams
-Scope of authority
-DMZ targets
-The President’s recent trip to the People’s Republic of China
[PRC]
-North Vietnamese targets
-Requests
-Weather
-Air sorties
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 700-5 (cont.)
-Number
-B-52s
-DMZ
-Missile sites
-Destruction
-Reports to the President
-Abrams
-Promotion to Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-Past performance
-Laos
Moorer, Rush and Kissinger left at 10:20 am.