TRANSCRIPT:
[Undoubtedly, I've made some mistakes in this. I more than welcome suggestions on how to improve this transcript.]
This is the last day of 1972, 12–11:45 at Camp David. A memorandum for the file, not to be transcribed.
Pat got away last night. [And I appreciate that because I already recorded it, but-- (?)] And I think that she really feels that I have been under considerable stress. I can sense that she has some sympathy for what I’ve been going through. I know she did. It must have affected her because she has been really quite low par all week long. I know these emotional things, they get to her, as they do to the girls. And I’m glad for that reason, as well as for many others. It’s far more important in the long run that this decision came at the end of the year, on the Sunday before she goes to the Rose Parade in Maryland.
In talking to Colson yesterday, I made the point that we would not have any positive reaction from the people on this bombing halt to renew the negotiations.
[They must understand (?)] that we had everybody meet, because, as I put it to him, in nature and in all forms of life political or otherwise, the peaks can only be, are only as high as the valleys, which–it is our belief, and it may be mistaken, that the bombing has not yet reached the point in the public mind that could cause the consternation that the [remembrance/members (?)] of the opposition to the May 8th decision caused. Consequently, while the valley in first blush is very deep, the peak afterwards coming off of the Moscow summit is a very high one.
In this instance, because of the fact of the bombing we have to get down and get up in the public mind to a very great extent till the middle of the week. We undoubtedly had a lot of consternation among even some of our friends, since in talking to Connally and Billy Graham will indicate a sense of relief, which is based on the [... (?)], not that we need a peak, but public support such as we had after May 8.
And we know the negotiations will of course renew the hopes for peace. This will help in getting across the point that would be fundamental that we never would have had negotiations on a serious basis unless we had bombed. It is something that we can only hope the public will understand, because we had to [move out (?)] on this point.
Paragraph. I also talked to Moorer. Since he basically [... (?)] since three-thirty this morning, this morning when I [wrapped up on (?)] my two hours insomnia, which seems to be now a rather standard pattern. But I would like to get over it somewhat. Period. Incidentally in that respect, I tried again last night staying up till eleven o’clock or 11:30 and then going to bed late hoping to sleep maybe until around 6:30 or 7, but it was the same pattern. I still woke up between 2:30 and three in the morning. Perhaps I have to develop a new scheme, whereby I accept the fact that regardless of when I go to bed, I wake up every four or five hours, and it’s going to take me about an hour and a half to two hours to get back to sleep again. [... (?)] the hour and a half to two hours in a more constructive way. The only problem is when I read in bed or make notes in bed, I know that I stimulate my mind so much that it makes it very difficult to get back to sleep, and certainly just lying there wide awake for an hour and a half just to return to sleep, it’s not the best way to handle it.
New paragraph. I don’t think I covered in my memorandum from yesterday: when I called Moorer he said that he was very proud of the men, who are doing their flying and so forth over Vietnam. He said they were true professionals and that they admired the presidents courage. And I told him that my courage was not really very central while they were risking their lives.
About raising questions as to the wisdom of policy which had to be made as to how to [level it (?)], which caused them to take such risks:
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-Part 1-
December 31, 1972
238-027
Camp David Hard Wire
Nixon dictates a diary entry (which he did off and on during his presidency) that was picked up by the bugs he had installed in his study at Camp David. In December 1972 Nixon had ordered the controversial Christmas bombing of North Vietnam with hopes of forcing the North Vietnamese to accept a peace agreement ending the Vietnam War, which happened soon after this diary dictation. Nixon later recalled that he had fallen into a depression during this time period.
Nixon talks about his diary dictations in his memoirs. Woodward and Bernstein also discuss them in The Final Days.
(Photo: Richard and Pat Nixon.)
Continued (Part 2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgrR21eJmAw
Duration : 0:6:21
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