On piping for John F. Kennedy, 1963

As a nine year old boy growing up in the Central Valley of California, the news of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the US, probably went somewhat over my head. Schools closed, my parents were shocked by the news, there was live TV coverage of the formal state funeral and then life went back to normal for me with my parent’s celebrating their November anniversary and then on to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Fifty years later events still hold an impact on me and my generation. As a history buff and bagpiper, when I heard that there had been bagpipes included at the funeral of a president, I went looking for more details. On the order of magnitude of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, nearly everyone from my generation has a story to tell and remembers where they were when the events of November 1963 happened.

On November 13, 1963, a week prior to the Kennedy assassination, the military band, including pipes and drums of the Black Watch Regiment of Scotland made a visit to the lawn of the White House at the request of President Kennedy. As the band played at the charity event, reports would write that this day with President Kennedy and his family was the last happy time they would spend together. Bruce Cowie, who was just 24 at the time (now 74) and one of the Black Watch pipers that day, spoke with BBC News that he remembered that it was "good fun" but he says: "We all did our traditional moaning because it (the day they played at the White House) was our day off." Later he would reflect on the historical significance the band playing would later have. Much of their appearance has been captured on video linked below.

JFK Presidential Library: Nov. 13, 1963 Back Watch Pipers at White House

On November 22, 1963, nine days after their performance, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Within days, the arrangements for Kennedy’s state funeral were in play. One historical note was that Mrs. Jackie Kennedy sent a note to the Back Watch band, then touring in Kentucky, asking if pipers would come and provide some of the music for the funeral procession. The band would send nine pipers.

According to the Kennedy Presidential Library web site: http://www.jfklibrary.org on the day of the funeral, November 25, 1963, nine pipers of the Black Watch of the Royal Highlanders Regiment marched during the procession from the Capitol, but only played from the White House to St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Their musical selections played were "The Brown Haired Maiden," "The Badge of Scotland," "The 51st Highland Division,” and "The Barren Rocks of Aden." The nine pipers had originally prepared what might have been expected in Scotland for such a somber day: standard laments ‘Flowers o' the Forest’ and ‘Land o' the Leal’. When they found out that the marching pace of the procession would be faster, the band chose the parade pieces. Major Ronnie Proctor, Black Watch Association secretary, said: “It is a great honour that a foreign country’s (the U.K.) pipers and servicemen are allowed to take part in an overseas head of state’s funeral. It’s pretty unique.”

As part of President Kennedy’s graveside service that same day, the US Air Force Pipe Band played ‘Mist Covered Mountains’ while the military honor guard carried the president’s casket from the military caisson to Kennedy’s final resting location at Arlington National Cemetery, where the eternal flame was eventually lit by Mrs. Kennedy thus completing the service.

Thanks to a heritage of highland bagpiping in the US and UK that touches lives wherever the pipes are played, whether in joyful fun or in sorrowful loss.

References:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/JFK-Fast-Facts/Funeral-Music.aspx

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/angus-the-mearns/black-watch-piper-will-honour-jfk-50-years-on-1.155945

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/angus-the-mearns/an-amazing-experience-forfar-man-remembers-the-day-he-met-jfk-1.157561