{"conversationCode":"791-004","tapeNumber":791,"conversationNumber":4,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-791-004","startDateTime":"1972-10-03T16:07:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-10-03T16:16:00.000Z","startDate":"3-Oct-1972","startTime":"12:07 PM","endDate":"3-Oct-1972","endTime":"12:16 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Matthews, Joseph L.; Hauck, William F.; Rhatican, William F.; Stephens, Melville L.; White House photographer; Bull, Stephen B.;","description":"On October 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Joseph L. Matthews, William F. Hauck, William F. Rhatican, Melville L. Stephens, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 791-004 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":4,"chronRelease":"Fourth Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"10-Dec-2003","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 791-4\n\nDate: October 3, 1972\nTime: 12:07 pm - 12:16 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Joseph L. Matthews, William F. Hauck, William F. Rhatican and\nMelville L. Stephens; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the\nmeeting.\n\n        Introductions\n\n        Photograph session\n            -Chicago\n\n        [Photograph session]\n\n        The President's schedule\n            -Chicago\n                -Republican National Committee [RNC]\n\n        Hawaii\n           -National convention\n               -Invitation to the President\n               -Expected crowds\n               -Expense\n                   -Tour\n               -World War II\n                   -Pearl Harbor\n               -Wives\n\n        American Legion\n           -Support for the President's policies\n               -National defense\n               -Foreign policy issues\n           -Membership\n               -Vietnam\n                   -Veterans of Foreign Wars\n                   -Wichita Falls, Texas\n                         -Number of members\n\nMatthew’s schedule\n    -58 Departments\n         -US\n    -Soviet Union\n         -Proposed trip\n             -Timing\n             -Federal Government assistance\n                  -White House, State department\n    -Europe\n         -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] countries\n    -Pacific\n    -Soviet Union\n    -Poland\n    -Romania\n         -Communist countries\n    -Soviet Union\n    -Warsaw\n         -Duration of proposed visit\n         -Polish people\n             -American Legion\n    -Romania\n    -Poles\n         -Americans\n    -NATO countries\n    -Far East\n         -Guam\n    -Reports to the President\n\nAmerican Legion\n   -Legislative contacts with White House\n\nPresidential cuff links\n\nPins\n       -Wives\n\nMatthews et al. left and Stephen B. Bull entered at 12:16 pm.\n\n         The President’s schedule\n\nBull left at 12:16 pm.","filename":["791-004.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Matthews, Joseph L.","Hauck, William F.","Rhatican, William F.","Stephens, Melville L.","White House photographer","Bull, Stephen B."],"prevCode":"791-003","nextCode":"791-005","transcript":[{"start":0.9,"end":3.12,"text":"How are you?"},{"start":3.14,"end":4.12,"text":"All right."},{"start":4.14,"end":7.22,"text":"Nice to see you."},{"start":7.3,"end":8.04,"text":"Good morning, Bill."},{"start":8.08,"end":8.2,"text":"Hi."},{"start":8.26,"end":13.98,"text":"Well, this is the first time as a commander you're here, right?"},{"start":14,"end":14.96,"text":"That's correct."},{"start":15.02,"end":16.9,"text":"That's correct."},{"start":17.02,"end":18.68,"text":"Glad to have you."},{"start":18.74,"end":20.32,"text":"Let's get our formal picture over here."},{"start":20.34,"end":23.9,"text":"Get your hat on so that we have a proper style."},{"start":24.52,"end":28.86,"text":"Last time I had a picture taken of you in Chicago, I had to play the choir this year."},{"start":28.92,"end":29.4,"text":"That's right."},{"start":35.76,"end":36.26,"text":"for the series."},{"start":36.28,"end":36.68,"text":"Take it away."},{"start":69.06,"end":70.58,"text":"I recommend you watch it next time."},{"start":98.56,"end":101.18,"text":"How about the expense?"},{"start":101.26,"end":105.18,"text":"It's not going to be as expensive to get there, but are they giving you good rates?"},{"start":105.2,"end":106.34,"text":"We're getting pretty good rates."},{"start":106.38,"end":110.36,"text":"We've got two or three percent of them are really good rates."},{"start":110.41,"end":113.45,"text":"They're much better than they could get if they were gone."},{"start":113.47,"end":115.97,"text":"Of course, it would be a great experience."},{"start":132.28,"end":135.36,"text":"Oh, that would be a great convention."},{"start":135.6,"end":142.63,"text":"And we have a lot of them that, as you said, have served out there."},{"start":142.65,"end":142.87,"text":"Sure."},{"start":142.95,"end":144.71,"text":"And their wives have heard them talk about it."},{"start":144.77,"end":147.82,"text":"I wonder if that... Well, this time they have to take a walk."},{"start":147.86,"end":148.06,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":149.34,"end":149.68,"text":"Well, we..."},{"start":177.25,"end":182.02,"text":"I appreciate you over and over again."},{"start":182.08,"end":187.21,"text":"It's just making a difference."},{"start":187.41,"end":188.93,"text":"I have a command of changes."},{"start":190.07,"end":194.67,"text":"I hope that I certainly should go."},{"start":232.41,"end":234.39,"text":"Well, it's hardly new."},{"start":234.49,"end":239.17,"text":"In some places, we've done really good."},{"start":239.19,"end":243.33,"text":"Last Saturday night, I was up in Wichita Falls, Texas."},{"start":243.39,"end":246.4,"text":"They had a post up there that's got a Vietnam commander."},{"start":247.09,"end":250.36,"text":"And they've got over 300 members, 300 Vietnam veterans in that post."},{"start":250.5,"end":252.06,"text":"And they're running the post."},{"start":252.16,"end":252.62,"text":"Mark."},{"start":253.36,"end":254.08,"text":"Wichita Falls."},{"start":266.05,"end":272.65,"text":"Well, talking about traveling, I don't think I'll come anywhere as close to travel as you do."},{"start":272.67,"end":284.46,"text":"I expect to get into all 58 departments this next year, all of the departments in the United States and the departments in the outlying areas, too."},{"start":285.88,"end":288.32,"text":"Incidentally, we're seriously considering making"},{"start":296.41,"end":298.29,"text":"We appreciate that very much."},{"start":298.75,"end":304.77,"text":"We wouldn't know, of course, without the White House approval."},{"start":334.8,"end":362.65,"text":"I would say Poland or Romania are the two that, those are the two I would recommend for you to invest in, which are basically communist countries."},{"start":371.21,"end":375.69,"text":"and stopping at Warsaw and spending a couple of days there."},{"start":375.73,"end":378.31,"text":"We've got a lot of Polish people in the American League."},{"start":378.69,"end":379.25,"text":"Oh, not a lot."},{"start":379.27,"end":381.69,"text":"If you've got time for that, you can stop with me."},{"start":381.71,"end":385.52,"text":"I don't have any names, but they're great people."},{"start":388.14,"end":392.24,"text":"But I know the Poles have got a huge number."},{"start":392.62,"end":393.72,"text":"They're loyal Americans."},{"start":393.76,"end":394.42,"text":"They fight hard."},{"start":406.09,"end":408.51,"text":"I just wish you the very best."},{"start":448.16,"end":449.38,"text":"There we go."},{"start":477.07,"end":478.79,"text":"There you are, that's turned off on the ceiling."},{"start":478.81,"end":482.17,"text":"That's the pop shop of the Blacks, the only one we can call them."},{"start":482.63,"end":483.35,"text":"Thank you very much."},{"start":483.41,"end":485.55,"text":"Do you have one of these billboards you have?"},{"start":485.59,"end":487.29,"text":"Thank you, that's a pretty good deal."},{"start":487.91,"end":491.19,"text":"I want to put it right there for you."},{"start":491.21,"end":494.04,"text":"You always need something to wipe, so you never get that done."},{"start":494.08,"end":494.98,"text":"Do you see this?"},{"start":495.16,"end":495.54,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":495.84,"end":498.96,"text":"There's all kinds of pens."},{"start":499.06,"end":500.76,"text":"Thank you, sir."},{"start":502.28,"end":504.44,"text":"Thank you very much."},{"start":504.5,"end":505.54,"text":"Thank you very much, sir."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with American Legion National Commander Joseph L. Matthews and his associates to discuss the organization's upcoming schedule, recruitment of Vietnam veterans, and support for his administration's foreign policy. Matthews briefed the President on his extensive travel plans, which include visiting all 58 American Legion departments and potentially conducting diplomatic trips to Eastern Europe, specifically Poland and Romania. The meeting concluded with a brief photo session and the presentation of commemorative gifts to the delegation.","topics":["American Legion","Joseph L. Matthews","Vietnam Veterans","Foreign Policy","Diplomatic Travel","Poland","Romania"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-07T23:46:44.204Z"},"topicSlugs":["american-legion","joseph-l-matthews","vietnam-veterans","foreign-policy","diplomatic-travel","poland","romania"],"audioDurationSec":531,"audioFiles":[{"file":"791-004.mp3","bytes":12743156,"durationSec":530.91,"bitrate":192021,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:58.287Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:44:34.050Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/791-004.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/791-004","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/791/conversation-791-004","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}