Conversation No. 878-19

Date: March 13, 1973
Time: 5:22 pm - 5:45 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William J. B. Dorn, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. and Max L. Friedersdorf.

       Greetings

       Chairmanship of Veterans’ Affairs Committee

       Seating

       Veterans
            -Legislation

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

       Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

       Veterans

       Defense budget
            -Attempted cuts
                  -Republicans, Democrats
                  -Southern Congress members
                               -39-

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. July-2010)
                                              Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


      -Impact on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
            -Soviet Union
      -Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR]
            -Europe
      -US successes
      -US negotiations with Soviet Union
            -SS-9s
            -Effect of unilateral cuts
-Mendel Rivers
-Dorn's support for President
-Volunteer army concept
-Vietnam settlement
      -Tendency for disarmament after war
      -John J. McCloy
            -New York friends
      -US military strength
            -Effect on Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China [PRC]
            -Peace
      -Disarmament
      -1933 horse cavalry units
            -High school principle
                  -Dorn’s recollection
            -Adolf Hitler
                  -Panzer tanks
            -West Point
                  -Dorn’s brother
-Gen. Billy Mitchell
      -Court martial
      -John E. Rankin
            -President’s experience on House Un-American Activities Committee
             [HUAC]
            -Speeches
-Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
      -Meeting with Rankin
      -Dorn’s military service
      -Slapping incident in Sicily
            -Drew Pearson's reporting of incident
                  -Prolonging of war
      -Leadership qualities
                                     -40-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. July-2010)
                                                    Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


                 -Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gen. Omar N. Bradley
                 -Army commander
                 -Movement
                 -Gen. Douglas MacArthur
           -President’s wish to meet
           -Dorn’s military service
                 -Message runner
           -Breakthrough in 1944
                 -Bradley
                 -Gas
                 -Siegfried Line
                 -Maginot Line [?]
     -Defense cuts
           -Congress
           -US position in 1940
                 -Cavalry
                 -Germany
                 -France
           -Impact on chances of peace
     -US strength
           -Vietnam settlement
                 -Soviet Union
                 -PRC
                 -Opportunity for peace

Vietnam settlement
     -December 1972 bombing
           -Effect
     -Lyndon B. Johnson's meeting with Dorn, Olin E. (“Tiger”) Teague, Rivers
           -Bombing
                 -Haiphong [?]
           -Duration of war
           -1968 election
                 -Johnson’s potential escalation of bombing
                 -Eugene J. McCarthy

Budgetary problem

Veterans
                                 -41-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. July-2010)
                                                 Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


-Committee
-President's bills
       -Avoidance of veto
       -Vietnam and disabled veterans
             -Separate legislation
-Prisoners of war [POWS] return
       -Reminder of patriotism, veterans
-Bills before Congress
       -Problems
             -Conference committee
       -Cooperation between Congress and President
       -Pressure from veteran organizations
       -Work with Dorn
       -Cost
             -Help for Vietnam and disabled veterans
             -Dependents’ provisions
                   -Veterans medical system
-Vietnam veterans
       -Increased aid
       -POWS
             -President's talk with Col. Robinson Risner and Capt. Jeremiah A.
              Denton, Jr.
                   -Years in solitary confinement
                   -Meals
       -Disabled, jobless veterans
       -Dissension, discontent
       -Report recommendation
             -Disabled veterans’ benefits cuts
             -Leak to press
                   -Disloyalty
             -Embarrassment to President
       -Work of committee
             -Dorn contacts with Cole
       -News summary
       -President’s support
       -Dorn's Republican counterpart
             -John P. Hammerschmidt
-Veterans bill
       -Senate passage
                                     -42-

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. July-2010)
                                                      Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


          -Veto
          -Dependants of disabled veterans
                 -Medical care
          -Provisions
                 -Dependents of deceased Veterans
                 -Cemeteries
          -Costs
                 -Sponsors of legislation
                 -Social Security increase
                       -Allowable income
          -Partisanship on committee
          -Medical care provisions
                 -Compromise
          -Separation from other bills
                 -Budget busting
                 -Veto
                 -Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
          -Public support
                 -Letters to committee
                       -Constituents
                       -Social Security increase
          -Bill in 1950s
                 -House of Representatives
          -Senate additions
                 -Cost
                 -Hugh Scott and Gerald R. Ford
                 -Irresponsibility
          -1950's Senate handling of legislation
                 -Robert A. Taft, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Walter George
                 -House of Representatives

Workings of Congress
    -Coordination
    -Election cycle
    -Senate
          -Problems
          -Ken Waring
                -Southern Democrats
          -Spending
                                               -43-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. July-2010)
                                                          Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


              -Teague
                   -Nikita S. Khruschev
              -Spending

       Veterans bill
            -Cuts
            -Social Security Medical provisions of bill
            -Drug treatment programs
                   -Vietnam veterans
                         -Dishonorable discharge
            -Senate
                   -Additions
                         -Costs
                         -Pensions [?]
            -Support for President

       Photograph

       Reception in Caucus Room
            -Invitation
            -Frederick B. Dent
                  -South Carolina

       Years in Congress
            -Work with President, Johnson, and John F. Kennedy
            -William E. Timmons

Dorn et al., left at 5:45 pm.