BLUE HEART

Most of you know that the RN Library Docent newsletter is called the "Blue Heart." I wondered about the origin of the name and asked a few folks, but no one I asked knew too much about it. While working on an upcoming blog, "The World in the Time of Watergate," I re- read RN's Memoirs. (A really good read if you haven't opened it recently.)

RN writes in the chapter about 1970:
I knew that those days in April and May were as hard for my staff as they were for me. Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Kissinger, in particular had borne the brunt of the Cambodian crisis. I wanted to do something to show how much I appreciated their strength and support. While we were were in Key Biscayne over the weekend of May 15, I asked Bebe if his girl friend, Jane Lucke, would mind doing a little sewing for me.

On the plane back to Washington I asked Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Kissinger to come to my cabin. When they arrived, I thanked them for all that they had done. "In fact," I said, "you deserve something like the Purple Heart for all the wounds you have sustained in the line of duty over the past week."

They all laughed and said that they had only done their jobs.

"No," I continued, "you have done more than your jobs, and I have devised a new award - a Blue Heart, for those who are true blue."

I gave them each a small heart made from blue cloth. "This will be our secret," I said, "but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you have done."


You can imagine my surprise when I found this tucked in the back of our autographed copy of the book.




Most of the readers of this blog undoubtedly consider themselves "Blue Hearts." If you have something to add to this snippet of the legacy of President Nixon, please add a comment.