CABLE (SANITIZED) FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: February 13, 1973
• Content Type: CABLE

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STAT
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4
VZCZCWHB038VZCZCDSI288
0687 0440830
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY
ZNY MMNSH
0 130612Z FEB 73 ZYH ZFF-1
FM THE WHITE HOUSE STAT
STAT
SECTION 1 OF .7
ZEM
UNCLAS
TOHAK 125
WH30461
FM THE SITUATION ROOM
TO RODMAN/LORD FOR MR. KISSINGER
FOR DR. KISSINGER AND MR. KLEIN
RELEASE OF 116 POWS BY NVN,.DELAYED RELEASE OF 27 MORE HELD
BY VC IN SVN BECAUSE OF "HAGGLING" OVER PROCEDURAL MATTERS, AND
THEIR "SIMPLE" (ABC) v "GENTLE" (NBC), "EMOTIONAL" (CBS) WELCOME
AT CLARK AFB LED AND DOMINATED THE NETS C1822 MINUTE,S?) ABC/CBS
W/FILM, NBC BRIEFLY NOTED' AS RZ SUMMARIZED RISNER'S PHONE CALL
TO RN, SAYING IT WOULD BE POWS' GREATEST PERSONAL HONOR AND PLEASURE
TO SHAKE RN'S HAND AND TELL HIM HOW PROUD THEY ARE TO HAVE HIM AS
PRES. ABC SHOWED RN W/KENDALL AND SOVIET MINISTER. CHANCELLOR
SAID RN TOLD RISNER "MY TIME IS YOURS" ON A MEETING, ON ABC/CBS RZ
RELATED RN SAID IT WAS "ONE OF MOST MOVING MOMENTS" OF PRESIDENCY.
CRONKITE NOTED RN PRAISED THE MEN WHO MADE A PEACE W/HONOR POSSIBLE,
ABC DESCRIBED RN AS "ELATED."
PLANE
NBC/CBS LED W/THE MOVING CLIP, ALSO ON .ABC, OF 1ST Pow OFF THE
........ .......,.+ "w'. N 1!+h f \1117 V ru # P ^ L`t" " TA IN
D-No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4
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 AND TO U~ ~~..~` -.Avkv- 11111L T% nt rc"n AML'n TnA AD f*~$TI M OF
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4 '
PISNER MAKING STATEMENT FOR 2ND PLANELOAD 9 EXPRESSING HIS THANKS TO
CLARK PERSONNEL, RN AND US FOR BRINGING POWS TO FREEDOM AGAIN...
ABC/CBS W/THE VERY PLEASED AND PROUD MRS. DENTON WHO IS CONFIDENT
THE BEST OF THEIR YEARS ARE AHEAD. NBC NOTED HOW DENTON SON HAD
SERVED IN VN WHILE FATHER WAS HELD CAPTXVE.,.TIME'S COVER IS OF THE
7-CHILD ABBOTT FAMILY W/SIGN IN FRONT OF THEM! "WELCOME HOME $
DADDY t" LEAD IS TITLED: "A CELEBRATION OF MEN REDEEMED." AND,
NEWSWEEK'S LEAD IS TITLED; "THEY'RE COMING HOME AT LAST." VERY
EMOTIONAL AND MOVING FILM OF SEVERAL POW FAMILIES AS THEY GOT
IST GLIMPSE OF HUSBANDS/FATHERS/SONS. CAMERAS ALSO PRESENT AS
WIVES RECEIVED CALL FROM HUSBANDS. MRS. PURCELL OF LOUISVILLE
CONTINUES TO BE PERHAPS-THE MOST COVERED OF ALL FAMILIES... ABC
ALSO TALKED W/FATHER OF POW WOODS, ADDED TO THOSE RELEASED AT
LAST MOMENT BECAUSE OF MOTHER'S CRITICAL ILLNESS, W/REPORTER ADDING
THAT ALTHO NOTHING'S OFFICIAL, IT'S HOPED WOODS WILL RETURN HOME
SOONER THAN OTHERS TO BE AT HIS MOTHER'S BEDSIDE. THE RETIRED
ADMIRAL FATHER FELT HIS WIFE HAS ALREADY IMPROVED.
ALL NETS W/USAF FILM OF POWS EMBARKING FROM HANOI AND FLIGHT
FILLED W/COFFEE DRINKING, SMOKING AND QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN WORLD. NETS REPORTED MEN EXPRESSED "PURE JOY" AND
DISBELIEF THEY WERE FINALLY FREE. ONE MAN EVEN TOOK A PUPPY
.W/HIND FILM ALSO ON THE WAIT FOR POWS HELD BY VC TO ARRIVE AT TON
SON NHUT, AND NBC/CBS W/CLIPS FROM LOC NINH AS POWS WAITED TO
BE FREED* REPORTERS ALL NOTED THOSE HELD IN SVN DIDN'T LOOK AS
WELL AS THOSE FROM HANOI -- MORE PALLID AND LESS BOISTEROUS,
COMPARED TO THE SURPRISINGLY GOOD CONDITION OF THE MEN HELD
IN THE NORTH...NBC/CBS ALSO W/FILM OF SVN AND NVN POWS WHO WERE
RELEASED -w "NOTICEABLY WORSE OFF" THAN US POWS, SAID CHANCELLOR,
W/MANY WOUNDED AND SOME LOOKING "LIKE SKELETONS." CBS EMPHASIZED
HOW THE COMMUNISTS DIDN'T SEEM AT ALL EXCITED ABOUT GOING HOME
EXPRESSIONLESS, BLANK FACES; EVEN G IS HELPING THEM OUT SEEMED
SUBDUED.
IN Vim"?" nrwe?*a+r.,s nnwwrM?ADV lay cMTTW MATrn RATIO 1 F TNDIVIDUAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4
 LOVING. CAP ANn T14 NATION JOY LAVISHED ON POWS WAS ?IMATIC
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4
EXPRESSION OF ATTENTION ALWAYS GIVEN GIS BY AMERICANS AND AN
INDICATION OF THIS NATION'S GENEROSITY...SEVAREID COMMENTED ON
THE DAY OF POLITICAL AND PERSONAL UNITY IN THE US AS A RESULT OF
THE SOMEWHAT RELIGIOUS EXPERIOUS OVER RELEASE OF MEN WHO BELIEVED
IN COUNTRY, FLAG, SERVICES AND THEMSELVES. RN'S ADVICE THAT MEN
BE LEFT ALONE ENDORSED BY ERIC AS IT IS ALSO BY TIME.
-- RN "ABRUPTLY ENDED" (ABC, "CUT SHORT" (NBC) HIS CALIF. VISIT
TO RETURN TO WHO JARRIEL SAID MOVE CAME AFTER HAK ENDED TALKS
WHICH COULD PAVE WAY FOR LAOS CEASEFIRE ANNOUNCEMENT. AP NOTES
RZ DISCOUNTED DOLLAR SITUATION AS REASON FOR RETURN.
? NBC/ABC NOTED HAK ENDED 3 DAYS OF TALKS W/NVN LEADERS...
BOTH SIDES IN LAOS HAVE REACHED GENERAL AGREEMENT ABOUT CEASEFIRE
WHICH SOUVANNA PHOUNA HOPES TO SIGN TUES. ALSO NOTED.
CBS REPORT ON STEIN HILL TESTIMONY AS HE AVOIDED COMMENTING
ON DOLLAR SITUATION -r- "WORLD'S WORST DAZTZ FOR THAT, HE SAID,
REUSS ON FILM WARNING THAT HILL WON'T ACCEPT ANOTHER SMITHSONIAN BUT,
SAID CBS9 IT'S BELIEVED THAT VOLCKER IS NEGOTIATING ANOTHER SUCH
FIXED RATE AGREEMENT W/DEVALUATION. WHILE THAT LEGALLY REQUIRES
HILL OK9 IT WOULD GO INTO EFFECT DE FACTO THE MINUTE RN WERE TO
ANNOUNCE HIS DESIRE FOR IT..,DOW-JONES CONTINUED FRIDAY RALLY AND
WENT UP ANOTHER 12 POINTS TO THE 990 MARK....LATE MON. NITE,
SHULTZ ANNOUNCED 10 PERCENT DEVALUATION COUPLED WITH NEW TRADE BULL.
HE ALSO SAID YEN WILL FLOAT.
IN OTHER MAG FEATURES, NEWSWEEK FAVORABLY PROFILES URBAN
LEAGUE'S JORDAY IN OTHERWISE CRITICAL -- ON ADMIN -- COVER STORY:
"WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BLACK AMERICA?"...ALL WEEKLIES, US.NEWS
FEATURING SI.R ROBERT THOMPSON AND THE NEW REPUBLIC W/KARNOW, SEE
SLOW, BUT GENERALLY ENCOURAGING PROGRESS MADE ON THE CEASEFIRE'S
IMPLEMENTATION...."CONGRESS THROWS DOWN THE GAUNTLET" IS HOW
NEWSWEEK FEATURES LAST WEEK'S HILL-WH RELATIONSHIP AND. BOTH TIME/
NEWSWEEK HAVE VERY POSITIVE PROFILES ON SAM ERVIN: "RIGHT MAN,
RIGHT TIME" IS HOW TIME DESCRIBES HIM WHILE NEWSWEEK LABELS HIM
~....~^ ? *rwr+r.~NV 'P rte Mircrc rvAMTMt'C WUVC AMD
"THE SEN n1n (lhiar+inn +n flarlaccifira+inn in ar+ 7(1 1(1/f1R/7R ? i r)r_HOK_7 %A I.7-d
 WHEREFOR..,, ON" "Menn_ v fmro?A&u ITC MAIM MUM STORY --iAN AREA
9 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4
ALSO TOUCHED ON IN A NEWSWEEK FEATURE ON THE POTENTIAL ARAB
CLOUT VS US IF THOSE NATIONS USED OIL AS A WEAPON...US NEWS
W/A GENERALLY ENCOURAGING PIECE ON THE INCREASING NUMBER OF
DOCTORS.
INDOCHINA
POWs
AP LEADSs "A TOTAL OF 143 POWS CAME BACK UNDER THE STARS AND
STRIPES, THE FLAG SOME HAD NOT SEEN FOR 8 YEARS."...ABC' S JENNINGS
REPORTED ON "SHIVERS" THAT RAN UP AND DOWN SPINES AT CLARK AS 1ST
PLANE WAS SIGHTED. OFFICIALS DISCOURAGED CROWDS, BUT THEY NEED
NOT HAVE WORRIED. WELCOME WENT W/OUT A HITCH. ENROUTE TO HOSPITAL
THEY RECEIVED TUMULTUOUS WELCOME. WHEN THOSE FROM SVN ARRIVED
AFTER "LONG, FRUSTRATING DAY" NOT TO MENTION IMPRISONMENT, THEY
RECEIVED SAME "DIGNIFIED$ GENUINE LOVING ATTENTION." JENNINGS
REPORTED MEN WERE IN EBULLIENT MOOD.
OVER USAF FILM (ON ALL NETS) ABC' S TUCKER NOTED ADVANCE PARTY
WAS IN HANOI SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE RELEASE TO WORK OUT DETAILS, AND
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/03/26: LOC-HAK-256-1-2-4