Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 783 › Conversation 783-015

Nixon, Reserve Officers Association & Upp on National defense

Tuesday, September 19, 1972 · 12:16 PM–12:25 PM ET · Oval Office · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Reserve Officers Association; Upp, Robert D. (Brig. Gen.); Crawford, B. Hayden (Rear Adm.); Boyles, Eugene H. (Col.); Craig, James C. (Col.); Rhatican, William F.; Stephens, Melvin; Bull, Stephen B.; White House photographerConversation783-015 on Tape 783StartTuesday, September 19, 1972 at 12:16 PMEndTuesday, September 19, 1972 at 12:25 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 783-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with representatives of the Reserve Officers Association to discuss national defense policy and the importance of fostering public respect for military personnel, particularly regarding the transition to an all-volunteer force. The group expressed strong support for the Administration's military policies, including the mining of Haiphong harbor, and discussed the broader political landscape of the 1972 campaign. The meeting concluded with the President presenting commemorative gifts to the attendees and a brief discussion regarding the President's upcoming schedule.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I'm going to set this picture up in a way that each of you stand by a flag.
Now let's see what we've got here.
Air Force Coast Guard
Yes, sir.
I want to say that I
mining hive on or anything like that.
We know you've got to stand up.
And that's what we need.
National defenses in retirement.
We've got to be for a strong national defense.
And also for respect for people who are in uniform or out, which is a very, very important period in the history of this country.
It's that you have so many people who
We just can't have a country that is strong.
You can't have a strong national defense, particularly on a volunteer basis, unless you give us the respect.
This is money alone.
You've got to respect these people.
Yes, sir.
I heard that message, too.
That's what we believe.
And I don't miss an opportunity to say those things when I'm out in the country.
The country's with us on that.
They don't want to be stopped.
They don't want to be decimated.
I think they're badly overrated.
off of this flag.
Those are just, those are new.
Those have just been paid.
They've taken the seal off the President's flag.
Put it in a cup.
In living color.
So, that's one for each of you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
We will all, everybody in the service of God.
We've got to keep our scores.
I've never been an officer.
I've never been an officer.
I've never been an officer.
I've never been an officer.
I've never been an officer.
I've never been an officer.
Thank you.
Thank you for your help.
Good luck, all of you.
Thank you.
reports that they got a new class.
Is that right?

NARA Description

On September 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the Reserve Officers Association, including Brig. Gen. Robert D. Upp, Col. John T. Carlton, Rear Adm. B. Hayden Crawford, Col. Eugene H. Boyles, Col. James C. Craig, William F. Rhatican, and Melvin Stephens, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House photographer, met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:16 pm and 12:25 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 783-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 783-15

Date: September 19, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:16 pm and 12:25 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Brig. Gen. Robert D. Upp, Col. John T. Carlton, Rear Adm. B. Hayden

Crawford, Col. Eugene H. Boyles, Col. James C. Craig, William F. Rhatican, and Mel L.
Stephens; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

             Greetings and introductions
                 -Crawford, Boyles, Craig, Carlton

             [Photograph session]
                 -Service flags
                     -Marine Corps

             Southern California
                 -1972 campaign
                 -Los Angeles City College

             National defense issue
                 -Reserve Officers Association's support for Administration
                      -Meetings
                      -Vietnam War
                           -Mining of Haiphong harbor
                 -Respect for service men and women
                      -All-volunteer army
                      -1972 election

             Presentation of gifts by the President
                 -Cuff links
                      -Presidential seal
                 -Golf balls
                      -Donald McI. Kendall
                          -Wilson Co.

Upp et al. left and Stephen B. Bull entered at 12:22 pm.

             The President's schedule
                 -Presidential gifts
                     -Golf balls
                          -Display

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:25 pm.

Also recorded on September 19, 1972

  • 783-011 11:45 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:12 pm.
  • 783-012 12:12 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:12 pm.
  • 783-013 12:13 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, O. Clark Fisher, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:13 pm to 12:15 pm.
  • 783-014 12:15 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 12:16 pm.
  • 783-016 12:22 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:25 pm.
  • 783-017 12:22 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:25 pm.
  • 783-018 12:22 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:46 pm.
  • 030-003 12:47 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:47 pm.

All 46 conversations from September 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 783-015, September 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/783-015 (accessed October 12, 2026).