Washington - Former president Richard Nixon was growing increasingly frustrated with the US military during the Vietnam War and used plenty of expletives to express it. The US National Archives and Nixon's presidential library released more of the 37th president's White House tapes and documents on Tuesday, which includes conversations on the Watergate scandal, Vietnam, his re-election in 1972 and other topics.
In an April 7, 1971 session with then national security advisor Henry Kissinger, the two men blast on the military for resisting Nixon's plans to end the draft. Kissinger said he intended to put the military to "the torch."
"They are screwing around on this," Nixon replied, before adding, "They are a bunch of greedy bastards that want more officers clubs and more men to shine their shoes."
It was the 12th time that excerpts from what had been secret tapes were released since Nixon was forced to resign in 1974. The latest collection contains more than 2,200 hours of recordings.
In one conversation on May 19, 1972, Nixon launches into a foul- mouthed tirade to express his frustration over the Air Force's bombing campaign and threatens to sack the service's leadership if it did not become more aggressive.
For years Nixon secretly taped phone conversations and meetings in the Oval Office. The revelation of the tapes containing his discussions on Watergate played a large factor in turning the tide against him and forcing his resignation.
The recordings can be accessed at: http://nixonlibrary.gov/
