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    "label": "April 11, 1973 - Nixon, POW/MIA Coordinator Roger Shields",
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    "title": "April 11, 1973 - Nixon, POW/MIA Coordinator Roger Shields",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1552575",
    "collections": [
        "Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)",
        "Nixon Administration Memoranda of Conversations"
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    "subjects": [
        "Missing in action",
        "Prisoners of war",
        "Vietnam War, 1961-1975"
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    "ocrText": "File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMEMORANDUM\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nMEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION\nPARTICIPANTS:\nPresident Nixon\nRoger Shields, POW/MIA Coordinator\nBrent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to\nthe President for National Security\nAffairs\nDATE AND TIME:\nWednesday, April 11, 1973\n12:02 - 12:27 p.m.\nPLACE:\nThe Oval Office\nThe President: To a man the POWs are high in praise of Operation\nHomecoming and you personally.\nTell all the people on the team it has been a tremendous job.\nShields: This release is so much better than the Cora Weiss group.\nEveryone worked hard and everyone did his job well.\nThe President: What is you feeling about the difficult readjustment\nperiod? They will always be respected I hope they stay in the Service:\nthey should be treated well. They should be recruiters, speaking on\ncollege campuses, and writing. They have thought deeply about them-\nselves and their country and we should benefit by it. They must be used\nin an effective way.\nShields: I think the Services know. Four of them made General.\ntalk to every Rotary Club. They must feel fulfilled, that they're doing\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5\nNSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines\nNARA, Date 1/18/00\nThe President: Yes, but I mean duties, not rank. I don't mean they should\nthings that are worthwhile.\nThere will be a letdown after the euphoria. We must do what we can.\nThese are strong men.\nBy let\nFORD & LIBRARY RALD 30\nCLASSIFIED BY HENRY A. KISSINGER\nEXEMPT FROM GENERAL DECLASSIFICATION\nSCHEDULE OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 11652\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nEXEMPTION CATEGORY 5 (b) (1-3)\nAUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIED ON Imp. to det.\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\n- 2 -\nShields: They are strong. They know they are men with a mission. They\nsee changes in the United States that they don't like and want to change these.\nSome will go to War Colleges.\nThe President: Great.\nShields: I will pass your words on.\nThe President: These men can inspire and we shouldn't lose this opportunity.\nShields: I agree. These man have been tempered in the fire. They have\nexperiences none of us have had. They have already done wonders for the\ncountry.\nThe President: They really have. The pitiful attempt of the left to say their\nstatements were brainwashed -- you couldn't do it in seven years; not in two\nhours.\nShields: Denton said he never thought his motives would be understood when\nhe said God Bless America. Denton said on the plane what he wanted to say,\nand they said great. The first group in Hanoi was great.\nThe President: Tell me about it.\nShields: We sat around a room to discuss procedures. We initialled a paper\nwith a list of the men to be released. The men came around a corner in a\nbus. They smiled at me and put their thumbs up. A Navy Commander was\nthe first one off. He was on crutches. He said \"Form Up. \" They men\nstood tall and proud. They marched through the gate and the Commander\nthrew his crutches down and hugged me and said \"I am home. \" On the\nplane, Denton said \"We wanted to return with honor. Did we?\" They sure\ndid.\nThe President: Flynn said to me, \"That was our slogan. \"\nShields: They were so proud of you. Some had God bless the United States\nand the President on flags, on tee shirts.\nThe President: On the MIAs, you say the President personally will follow\nthrough on scrupulous adherence by North Vietnam on this. We will leave\nno stone unturned. All those families, waiting, hoping. They must know\nthe certainty of their men's fate.\nTell your colleagues I raised hell with you on the accounting.\nFORD & LIBRAR BRAR RALD\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\n30\nSECRETYNODIS/XGDS\n- 3 -\nI sent a letter to all of them.\nYou write a letter to them -- say you are with me and we must carry\nour our obligation to the POWs but we have an equal obligation to the\nMIAs. We will leave no stone unturned, Don't raise hopes, but say\nthe President doesn't consider the peace won until there is an adequate\naccounting for the MIAs.\nShields: I will do it. The families have confidence. The POWs have\nreturned.\nThe President: And they know we didn't cave. The December bombing\nwas for that. The North Vietnam had attached conditions; we said no and\nwe bombed.\nShields: The men know that. They know of your concern. Two are missing\nfor each POW.\nThe President: How long have you been in the Defense Department?\nShields: Two and a-half years.\nThe President: Where are you from?\nShields: Florida.\nThe President: I don't know that part. Near Gainesville?\nShields: Yes.\nThe President: How old are you?\nShields: Thirty-three.\nThe President: You have had a great experience.\nShields: It has been great.\nThe President: You can't equal this. But these guys have been great for\nthis country. They could have a great impact on the destiny of this country.\nShields: I want to give the men what they deserve.\nThe President: What do you teach? History?\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nPAYLO FORD OBRAR\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\n- 4 -\nShields: Economics.\nThe President: How did you get into DOD?\nShields: Secretary Laird wanted a study of the economics of Vietnamization.\nThen I moved over.\n[A few words on football]\nI was a tackel on the team of '61.\nThe President: Did you beat Miami?\nShields: Yes. And Florida. Florida State is big now.\nThe President: Yes, they have a lot of blacks now.\n[The meeting concluded.]\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nFORD & LIBRARY GREATO THE\nRoger Strields apr 11. 1973\nshields\nThe hoser\n1202 P. Tia basen Pow: MR bigh in\n12:00 Wed\nprovise prosonally of Opn Howevery + you\nTeNall i prophams C treen it has\nbren a for\nSy\nThis ulase so no h litter than 1\nCrewisess george Energone worked hard\n& every one chil his job well\nP-\nWhat is your faching MmJ expirant\nprind, They will almays be uspected.\nHips thing story n C sema - should he\nhigher well. They should be\nspenhing college congress ceriting,\nThey have thought deryly about thems hres\n& their country + cen should bewfet by it.\nThey must he insul in one effective every.\nS-\n2 thrink semies brow 4 makgerl\nP\nYes, but I wan chris wet rank. Don't\nmen they should intk To every Bontan\nChub. they must ful pulfilled, alming\nthings\nThene will he a after\nthe englosis. we must dr what we can\nThat and story num\nS\nThey are struy I They Berear they all\nmen w/a thing see thempes\nin us thing dnit like a wont to change three\nServe wine go to was calleges\nP - Great\nS\nI guil yess y your iesul. on\nP-\nhere man cm mapin t. rel sharekert\nlose this per.\nE\nFORD\ns\nThese mn ham even ungend\nhave had. Thry have already dont works\nin c first I his hour expirience unit of us\nfor c unity\nP\nThey unly home. T he internal thought of\nleft to say their Natiment when\nS-\nGov smd sentern wher thought my unstrib crreet\nSmith in Tyrs not me & has\nbe when Doard and bless\namerican\nDenton smil on flave what he wonthol h\nsay + Chey sand great\nP - Tell me\nFirst group in Human grent\nS- we sat and a save to he ins possbare\nWe mitrolled a paperw/ment he suits velmsel\nThe mm came and work in a has,\nThey smiled at Royer, should put theraty ong.\nhave ch was first off - crutches. Ne sined form eng_\nmen stand tall R period Sn Thry marchine\nthen the gate, it ch there crutcher done\nhugged me of sand they I ans have\nOn Mane, Denton sind we created to\nreturn 3 /hones. Did we ? 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But these jump\nbrea gurt impact on briting of This\nS- Writed County $ and - own what This disnosed\nLO FORD <18\nP\nWhat Even 2 Kish\nS\nEcm.\nP\nHuen in NOD\nS\nhand armited eight economics of Vgtm\nThen Imsuel of\na four ands M Joictaire Shiled\nKizz\na Researched trehde on Wen of 61\nPus arted did but buran\nYes. Onl Fla -F In state buy une\nP-Yes. they how let folm hs error\nPALO 13 FORD ABRART"
}