Nixon Announces Vietnam Peace Accord
“Peace With Honour” speech
Nixon reads statement issued in Paris and Hanoi re Agreement on Ending the War initialed by Kissinger and Le Duc Tho and to be signed formally at Paris Conference on 27Jan73.
Recalls address to the Nation of January 25 and May 8, 1972 re peace with honour; announces time & date of ceasefire; return of POWs within 60 days of ceasefire and “fullest possible accounting for all of those who are missing in action”; withdrawal of all American forces from South Vietnam within 60 days after ceasefire; South Vietnam guaranteed right to determine their own future without outside interference.
“... This settlement meets the goals and has the full support of President Thieu...
The United States will continue to recognize the Government of the Republic of Vietnam as the sole legitimate government of South Vietnam. We shall ... support efforts by the people of South Vietnam to settle their problems peacefully among themselves.
All parties must now see to it that this is a peace that lasts... This will mean that the terms of the agreement must be scrupulously adhered to.”
To South Vietnam: “By your courage, by your sacrifice, you have won the precious right to determine your own future ... friends in peace as we have been allies in war.
To leaders of North Vietnam: “As we have ended the war through negotiations, let us now build a peace of reconciliation...
To the other major powers that have been involved even indirectly: Now is the time for mutual restraint...”
To the American people: explains why negotiations had to remain secret. “The important thing was not to talk about peace, but to get peace and to get the right kind of peace. This we have done.
... let us be proud that America did not settle for a peace that would have betrayed our allies, that would have abandoned our prisoners of war, or that would have ended the war for us but would have continued the war for the 50 million people of Indochina. Let us be proud of the 2 1/2 million young Americans who served in Vietnam ... in one of the most selfless enterprises in the history of nations... proud of those who sacrificed their lives so that the people of South Vietnam might live in freedom and so that the world might live in peace. “
Word of thanks to families of POWs and missing in action. “ you had the courage to stand for the right kind of peace so that those who died ... would not have died ... in vain, and so that ... the next generation would know peace.... your long vigil is coming to an end.”
Mentions vilification of LBJ who has just died ... “No one would have welcomed this peace more than he”.
We can provide the transcript of the entire speech.
Vietnam War
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Nixon Announces Vietnam Peace Accord “Peace With Honour” speech Nixon reads statement issued in Paris and Hanoi re Agreement on Ending the War initialed by Kissinger and Le Duc Tho and to be signed formally at Paris Conference on 27Jan73. Recalls address to the Nation of January 25 and May 8, 1972 re peace with honour; announces time & date of ceasefire; return of POWs within 60 days of ceasefire and “fullest possible accounting for all of those who are missing in action”; withdrawal of all American forces from South Vietnam within 60 days after ceasefire; South Vietnam guaranteed right to determine their own future without outside interference. “... This settlement meets the goals and has the full support of President Thieu... The United States will continue to recognize the Government of the Republic of Vietnam as the sole legitimate government of South Vietnam. We shall ... support efforts by the people of South Vietnam to settle their problems peacefully among themselves. All parties must now see to it that this is a peace that lasts... This will mean that the terms of the agreement must be scrupulously adhered to.” To South Vietnam: “By your courage, by your sacrifice, you have won the precious right to determine your own future ... friends in peace as we have been allies in war. To leaders of North Vietnam: “As we have ended the war through negotiations, let us now build a peace of reconciliation... To the other major powers that have been involved even indirectly: Now is the time for mutual restraint...” To the American people: explains why negotiations had to remain secret. “The important thing was not to talk about peace, but to get peace and to get the right kind of peace. This we have done. ... let us be proud that America did not settle for a peace that would have betrayed our allies, that would have abandoned our prisoners of war, or that would have ended the war for us but would have continued the war for the 50 million people of Indochina. Let us be proud of the 2 1/2 million young Americans who served in Vietnam ... in one of the most selfless enterprises in the history of nations... proud of those who sacrificed their lives so that the people of South Vietnam might live in freedom and so that the world might live in peace. “ Word of thanks to families of POWs and missing in action. “ you had the courage to stand for the right kind of peace so that those who died ... would not have died ... in vain, and so that ... the next generation would know peace.... your long vigil is coming to an end.” Mentions vilification of LBJ who has just died ... “No one would have welcomed this peace more than he”. We can provide the transcript of the entire speech. Vietnam War