412-007a

Conversation No. 412-7

Date: February 14, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:04 pm and 4:05 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Thomas H. Moorer.


Prisoners of War [POWs] returning from Vietnam
-Debriefing
-POWs’ attitudes
-Support for President
-Bombing
-Support
-December 26, 1972 raid

World War II
-Prisoners of Japanese
-Hokaido
 -4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




Bombing
-North Vietnamese reaction
-POWs’ morale

POWs’ return
-Statements
-Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.
-Capt. James A. Mulligan, Jr.
-Impact on critics of bombing
-Bombing
-POWs’ appearance
-Release of POWs’ reactions

Bombing
-North Vietnam’s reaction
-May 8, 1972 bombing
-Bombing halt
-Delays in negotiations
-Cambodia
-Purpose
-Result
-Impact on the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and Soviet Union
-Statesmen
-Winston S. Churchill
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Allied attitudes
-Japan
-Australia
-Ian O. smith
-Great Britain
-Portugal
-Greece
-Turkey
-Spain
-Latin America
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-Brazil
-European Socialists
-Germany
-Netherlands
-Latin America
-Australia
-Military

Canada’s military
-Reaction to bombing
-Relations with US military
-Military missions
-Participation
-US Marine Corps
-Strength

European military
-Strength
-Denmark

Socialist countries
-parliamentary coalitions

Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Trip to Southeast Asia
-Report
-Moorer’s visit

Far East
-Indonesia [?]
-Thailand
-Moorer’s travel
-PRC
-Negotiations
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




POWs
-Photograph
-Washington Star
-Corsages for wives or mothers
-Future careers
-Military
-Denton
-Contact with Moorer
-President’s call to Mrs. Denton
-Families’ reaction to the President’s policies
-Knowledge of bombing

Bombing
-B-52, tactical aircraft
-Damage to Hanoi
-Pictures
-Harold E. Hughes
-Allegations of carpet bombing
-Civilian casualties
-Compared with World War II
-Refusals to fly

POWs
-Heroism
-Korean War
-President’s policies
-Peace with honor
-Defeat of North Vietnam
-Debriefing
-Col. Al Lynn
-Attitudes
-Uniforms and bearing
-Pay bonuses
-Congress
-Recommendations
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-Military institutional support
-Legal advice
-Career options
-Educational commitments
-Graduate schools
-War colleges
-Duty stations
-Citations
-Presidential Unit Citation
-Moorer’s recommendations
-Gen. Brendt G. Scowcroft
-Individuals
-Years of captivity
-Bravery, performance
-Pay
-Congressional opposition
-Bonus
-Defense Department recommendations
-Historical precedents
-World War II
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]

US foreign policy
-Vietnam War
-US interests
-Southeast Asia
-Commitments to allies
-Great power status
-Attacks on military
-Impact of POWs
-Pentagon
-Heroism
-US strength
-Patriotism
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




President’s Pentagon visit
-Effects [?]
-Luncheon
-Elliot L. Richardson
-JCS
-Service secretaries
-Timing
-President’s admiration
-POWs
-Presidential citation
-Timing
-Congress
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Patriotism

Consultation between military and the President
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-JCS chairman
-Richard M. Helmz [?]
-Strategic Arms Limitations Talks [SALT]
-Direct line to JCS
-Moorer’s access to the President

Vietnam
-May 8, 1972 bombing
-Secretary’s recommendations
-Overruled
-Continuation
-Weather
-Moorer’s recommendations
-B-52 losses
-June 5, 1972 raid
-Number of sorties
-Halt
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-December 1972 bombing


*****************************************************************************
BEGING WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 2 s]

Intelligence

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
******************************************************************************


-The President’s role
-Unpredictability

The President’s conversation with Scowcroft and Haig
-Military missions abroad
-Foreign arms sales
-Church amendment
-Competition
-France
-Latin America
-State Department
-US military ties
-Uruguay
-Chile
-Indonesia
-Communism
-Population
-Lt. Gen. T. N. S. Suharto
-Military aid
-Contacts
-Alliances
 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-Socialist countries
-Brazil
-US military aid
-Conditions
-Destroyers
-Missiles
-Preference for US advisors, arms
-US arms

Foreign policy planning
-President’s discussion with Haig
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Military field grade officers
-Think tanks
-Broader thinking
-State Department
-Arms sales
-Latin America
-Psychological operations
-Contribution of military people
-Air force
-Europe, PRC, Soviet Union
-Think tanks
-Differing views
-Impact on NSC
-Role of JCS
-Styx missile
-Naval officers
-Mediterranean
-Memorandum
-Israeli ship
-Richardson
-Conventional weapons
-Usefulness
-Korea
 -11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-Nixon Doctrine
-Small nations
-Self defense
-Conventional warfare
-Prolonged war
-Navy, air force
-Sophisticated, expensive weapons
-Tactical air power
-Cost effectiveness

Conventional weapons
-Europe
-Mutual and balanced force reduction [MBFR]
-Japan, Asia
-Tactical nuclear weapons
-Military planning group
-Study results

The President’s foreign policy decisions
-May 8, 1972 decision
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Haig
-Impact on US-Soviet relations
-US-Soviet summit, May 1972
-Preemptive cancellation
-President’s speech
-Television [TV]
-Fear of Soviet Union reprisals
-The President’s deliberations
-Need for outside counsel
-John B. Connally
-December 1972 bombing
-Breakdown in negotiations
-Kissinger’s cable and recommendations
-President’s speech
 -12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-TV
-Compared with May 8, 1972 decision
-Impact on negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Success of US-Soviet summit, Vietnam settlement
-White House staff, NSC

Presidential advisors
-Need to hear different opinions
-State Department, Defense Department, Central Intelligence Agency
[CIA]
-NSC’s role
-NSC
-Haig
-Management skills
-Knowledge

Military advisory capacity
-Younger officers
-Age
-Experience
-New ideas
-Moorer’s staff
-Transfers
-POWs
-Abilities
-Insights
-JCS
-Air force, navy, personnel
-Independent initiative
-No fear of reprisal
-Leaking to press
-Bureaucracy
-Kissinger
-NSC
 -13-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-Haig
-Talent in military

Defense budget
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Cuts in post-Vietnam War period
-Personnel costs
-Mills
-Support
-Moorer’s speech
-Commonwealth Club
-International interests
-Energy crisis
-Middle East instability
-Negotiations
-Strength of US
-Budget
-Decreases
-TV press conference by Moorer
-Vietnam War’s effects on US military morale
-War conditions
-Public criticism of the war
-Attack on the press

Moorer
-San Francisco
-Visit to Brigham Young University
-Salt Lake City
-Spokesman for Defense Department
-Timing
-POWs
-Foreign policy

Amnesty
-Policy regarding pardon
 -14-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 412-7 (cont’d)




-Moorer’s statement
-Selective Service Act
-Impact on POWs
-Divisiveness of issue
-Patriotism
-Military service personnel
-Conscientious objection
-Desecration
-Legal consequences

Richardson
The White House photographer entered at 4:03 pm.

Photograph session
-Scowcroft

Bombing
-Decision
-Cambodia
-May 8, 1972 decision
-North Vietnam

The White House photographer left at 4:04 pm.


Moorer left at 4:05 pm.