Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 726 › Conversation 726-012

Nixon & Bull on Vietnam War and Military strategy

Friday, May 19, 1972 · 11:27 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Bull, Stephen B.Conversation726-012 onTape 726 (tape position 02:48:42–02:50:12)StartFriday, May 19, 1972 at 11:27 AMEndFriday, May 19, 1972 at 11:27 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 726-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with aide Stephen Bull to discuss the effectiveness of strategic aerial bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War. Nixon expressed frustration over public misconceptions regarding military restrictions, asserting that he had provided the military with full operational freedom. The discussion emphasized the psychological impact of B-52 strikes versus the limitations of smaller fighter aircraft like the F-4.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 165.8 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:48:42 into the tape and ends around 02:50:12.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

2:48:41See, I don't want this parade of stories about the military that came out after Johnson's bombing when they said, well, they didn't unleash us.
2:48:50But goddamn it, we have unleashed them.
2:48:54You've unleashed them.
2:48:55There is no restriction whatsoever.
2:48:57I want to take the two strikes up there the day we get back.
2:49:02But that's what you did.
2:49:08where you go, please, why, why is it impossible to read and figure some RV to do?
2:49:20I know the answer.
2:49:21I know the planes can do it as well, but they can't.
2:49:24They can't fly as high and the rest.
2:49:26I think the B-52 was half the load.
2:49:29I'll take 100 out here, and that never shocked me.
2:49:31I was getting it done.
2:49:32I thought it was.
2:49:36When Agnew was talking, and it's quite right, they said the F-4 can do it, but the F-4 can't fly.
2:49:44The psychology of the 52 strike.
2:49:46Now, we've got 4,000 52s in Europe, right?
2:50:05Thank you.
2:50:05Thank you.
2:50:05Thank you.
2:50:06Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:27 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 726-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 726-12

Date: May 19, 1972
Time: 11:27 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen Bull.

     Barber
          -Location

     Unknown guests
         -Location

     A delivery to the Executive Office Building [EOB]

Bull left at 1:28 pm.

The President left at 1:28 pm.

Also recorded on May 19, 1972

  • 024-156 10:51 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:51 am and 11:16 am.
  • 024-157 10:51 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:51 am and 11:16 am.
  • 024-158 11:16 AM · 18 sec — Stephen B. Bull, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:16 am to 11:17 am.
  • 024-103 11:17 AM · 7 sec — unknown person(s), White House operator, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at 11:17 am.
  • 726-002 11:42 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:42 am.
  • 726-003 11:42 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:42 am to 11:45 am.
  • 726-004 11:45 AM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:19 pm.
  • 726-005 12:19 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:19 pm to 12:49 pm.

All 47 conversations from May 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 726-012, May 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/726-012 (accessed September 18, 2026).