Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 854 › Conversation 854-003

Nixon & Risner on POW repatriation and Vietnam War

Tuesday, February 13, 1973 · 8:27 AM–8:33 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Risner, RobinsonConversation854-003 on Tape 854StartTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 8:27 AMEndTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 8:33 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 854-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon telephoned Mrs. Robinson Risner to express his profound gratitude and pride regarding the return of her husband, Colonel Robinson Risner, a recently released prisoner of war. Nixon praised the Colonel's heroism and acknowledged the critical role that the families of POWs played in maintaining national resolve during the conflict. The President urged the family to prioritize the Colonel’s rest and recovery before any formal recognition ceremonies, even offering lighthearted advice on his post-captivity diet.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Hello?
Mr. Reisner?
I wanted to know that, uh, how very proud I was of your husband and all of the others as they came off that plane, and how much I appreciated the call he made to me from Clark Field.
I know that you and his family and all of your children know that, uh,
What a real hero he is.
I mean, I haven't parted with this order, I'm sure, but I was never proud of being American.
He called it.
My son will spend some of that money.
That's what he said when he called me.
for a man who's an ace in Korea and all the rest to say that was a very, it made me feel very humble, but we do want you to know, as I told him, of course, that they had to be very careful what they said, but I said that without the genuine faith and support of the wives and mothers and children of our POWs in this connection,
we could never have achieved the peace and honor that we have.
So you're also a heroine, and your children too.
Uh, yeah, I hope when you get back now, you'll be sure, uh, I, I, you know, I, I said, I don't bother these men.
Let them get home, get, get, you know, get, get rid of their families again.
And after that, why, uh, we'll, uh, we'll have a chance to pay our respects.
But, uh, you just get him home and, uh, get him a good rest.
What does he like to eat?
Is he a, is he a chocolate cake, an ice cream?
He could use a little.
He looks a little thin.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's right.
Well, you, well, you, uh, you just pour that into a truck of cake and I can give him all the amount, too.
All right.
All right.
Good luck to you and to all your children.

NARA Description

On February 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Robinson Risner met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 8:33 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 854-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 854-3

Date: February 13, 1973
Time: Unknown between 8:27 am and 8:33 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Mrs. Robinson Risner.

[See Conversation No. 43-57]
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                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on February 13, 1973

  • 854-001 8:11 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:11 am and 8:27 am.
  • 854-002 8:11 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:11 am and 8:27 am.
  • 043-056 8:27 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 8:33 am.
  • 043-057 8:27 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Robinson Risner talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 8:33 am.
  • 043-058 8:35 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr. talked on the telephone from 8:35 am to 8:37 am.
  • 854-004 8:35 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. Jeremiah P. Denton met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:35 am to 8:37 am.
  • 043-059 8:37 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 8:47 am.
  • 854-005 8:37 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 8:47 am.

All 55 conversations from February 13, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 854-003, February 13, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/854-003 (accessed October 5, 2026).