The links between Angus and the last days of JFK have come to light following the 50th anniversary of his death.
President John F Kennedy was assassinated on November 22 1963 while travelling in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, Texas.
While people all over the world paused to remember the event on Friday, several former military men from Angus have stepped forward and spoken of the time they met the head of state just days before he was killed.
The Black Watch Pipe Band was on a tour of the United States when they got the chance to perform for the president at a charity event on the White House lawn.
Just over a week later, Kennedy had been assassinated and the band was once again asked to perform at his funeral.
Piper Bruce Cowie spoke to The Courier last weekabout his memories from that day and how he was set to travel to London on Friday to reprise his piping role for a special remembrance performance.
Forfar man Dennis Byrne was also part of the regimental band when it was on tour at the time.
Dennis, 70, said there were several Angus lads in the band, including Ronald Cairns, a piper now living in Australia, and Bob Simpson, a drummer from Arbroath, who were lucky enough to meet Kennedy and enjoy an informal chat with him during the charity event at the White House.
Mr Byrne, who now lives in Swindon, had danced at the event, and said he was struck by the president’s humility and approach to people.
“He was a genuine person,” said Dennis. “Somebody to look up to really. I admired him.
“I felt a great sadness when he was killed. He had come up and spoke to us personally on the bus before we left and was just very nice.”
He added: “He joked as well. He asked if any of us were from Ireland, to which we jokingly replied to by ‘booing’, but he was just having a laugh.”
Dennis, a Highland dancer and bass drummer with the band, played a key role for the group during the White House event by holding an officer’s dirk for Pipe Major Anderson, who presented the item to JFK as a gift from their visit.
The president then gave a speech about his great affinity for Scotland and The Black Watch, and described it as a country that had been fighting a “lost cause” at times, but which had finally triumphed.
Dennis said: “It was nice to hear him say these personal things.
“After the show they invited us into the White House and they had food and something to drink for us, and Kennedy came up and talked to us.
“We were standing in a room with all the chiefs of staff and the president of the biggest country in the world, who were all talking to us like we were buddies. It was just unheard of.”
Dennis went back to America to teach pipe band music for the Kansas City (Missouri) St Andrew’s Society after The Black Watch Pipe Band had visited on their tour.
Many of his fellow band members have passed on, but he still remembers the key role the group played that day in the White House and at the funeral.
“Clint Hill of the Secret Service was there the day Kennedy was shot,” added Dennis.
“He was the one you see trying to help Jackie in the car. I met him at the White House when he caught us messing around on this huge trampoline we found, but he sent me his memoirs when he published them.
“It was all an amazing experience.”