Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 854 › Conversation 854-012

Nixon with unidentified visitors in the Oval Office on Prisoners of War

Tuesday, February 13, 1973 · 9:15 AM–9:34 AM ET · Oval Office · 45 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); [Unknown person(s)]Conversation854-012 on Tape 854StartTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 9:15 AMEndTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 9:34 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 854-012 ↗

President Nixon consulted with an unidentified associate regarding the well-being and status of spouses of American prisoners of war (POWs). The discussion focused on confirming the current condition of specific women, including Mrs. Robinson Risner, Mrs. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr., and Mrs. James A. Mulligan, Jr. The participants briefly exchanged updates to ensure these individuals were being properly managed or accounted for during the sensitive period of the POW repatriation process.

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Yeah, I had talked to I was wondering about Mrs. Mulligan.
You work with the two of your wife's.
She's all right with you, you know?
Yeah, I think they all are.
And Marisha's all right.
I said, why not?
She isn't dead, too, right?
Yeah, that's fine.
There's another one that's drunk, did you know that?
Okay.
Okay.

On February 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:34 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 854-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 854-12
Date: February 13, 1973
Time: Unknown between 9:15 am and 9:34 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with an unknown person.

       Prisoners of war [POWs]
              -Mrs. Robinson Risner
              -Mrs. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.
              -Mrs. James A. Mulligan, Jr.
              -Work with POW wives
                      -Condition
              -[First name unknown] Strunk
              -Mrs. Mulligan
                                              -6-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                          Conversation No. 854-12 (cont’d)

                     -Background
  • 043-061 8:54 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:54 am and 9:34 am.
  • 854-008 9:00 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:00 am to 9:15 am.
  • 854-009 9:15 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:34 am.
  • 854-010 9:15 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:34 am.
  • 854-011 9:15 AM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:34 am.
  • 854-013 9:15 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:34 am.
  • 043-062 9:34 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. James Mulligan talked on the telephone from 9:34 am to 9:41 am.
  • 854-014 9:34 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. James A. Mulligan, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:34 am to 9:41 am.

Conversation 854-012, 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/854-012 (accessed October 1, 2026).