I thought I would share the exact story behind the "Yellow Ribbon"

[tourwife]

I was having a conversation with my mom about the yellow ribbon and it had come up about how it came about that it was now used to show support to soldiers.  I have yet to find out how "Support Our Soldiers" came from it, but I did some research tonight, and this is how the yellow ribbon came about

.....based on an actual incident that occurred aboard a southern bus bound for Miami. One of the passengers explained to the driver that he was just out of prison, having served three years for passing bad checks. In a letter to his wife, he had written that she didn't have to wait for him; but, if she was still interested, she could let him know by tying a yellow ribbon around the only oak tree in the city square. As the bus rolled down U.S. 17, nearing the man's hometown of White Oak, Georgia, the driver was asked to slow down so that all could see whether the ribbon was in place. To the man's tearful relief, it was.

This was taken from http://www.superseventies.com/1973_1singles.html

Here's the lyrics that came about from the story, written by Tony Orlando and Dawn

I'm comin' home, I've done my time
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine
If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free
Then you'll know just what to do
If you still want me
If you still want me

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

Bus driver, please look for me
'cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see
I'm really still in prison
And my love, she holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free
I wrote and told her please

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

Now the whole damned bus is cheerin'
And I can't believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the old oak tree

I'm comin' home, mmm, mmm

(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)

(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)

 

[GrimRX]

I was having a conversation with my mom about the yellow ribbon and it had come up about how it came about that it was now used to show support to soldiers.  I have yet to find out how "Support Our Soldiers" came from it, but I did some research tonight, and this is how the yellow ribbon came about

.....based on an actual incident that occurred aboard a southern bus bound for Miami. One of the passengers explained to the driver that he was just out of prison, having served three years for passing bad checks. In a letter to his wife, he had written that she didn't have to wait for him; but, if she was still interested, she could let him know by tying a yellow ribbon around the only oak tree in the city square. As the bus rolled down U.S. 17, nearing the man's hometown of White Oak, Georgia, the driver was asked to slow down so that all could see whether the ribbon was in place. To the man's tearful relief, it was.

This was taken from http://www.superseventies.com/1973_1singles.html

Here's the lyrics that came about from the story, written by Tony Orlando and Dawn

I'm comin' home, I've done my time
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine
If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free
Then you'll know just what to do
If you still want me
If you still want me

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

Bus driver, please look for me
'cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see
I'm really still in prison
And my love, she holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free
I wrote and told her please

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

Now the whole damned bus is cheerin'
And I can't believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the old oak tree

I'm comin' home, mmm, mmm

(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)

(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)

It could simply be that the song makes it possible to transfer the prison thing to an Army theme.  After all, there are quite a few things in the song that can seem to have more than one meaning.

 

[Armymedic]

If you have never been on tour in places like Bosnia and Kabul, then the idea of 6 months of medium security confinement wouldn't really connect with you....

 

[SprCForr]

Does this story pre-date the movie "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949)? Or "Around her neck she wore a Yellow Ribbon" that was adapted into a suitable marching song that I know was sung around CFB Chilliwack (and probably lots of other places) in the '70s?

Around her neck
She wore a yellow ribbon,
She wore it in the springtime
And in the month of May.
And if you asked her
Why the heck she wore it,
"I wore for my Sapper
Who is far, far away".
Refrain:
Far away!
Far away!
She wore it for her lover far away.
Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon.
She wore it for her Sapper who was far, far away...

Anyway, both of these link soldiers and yellow ribbons.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Not a big deal, but it was originally for "her Soldier" not "Sapper". I learned the song in the early 60's, and I'm sure it predates that by some time. I don't think TO and Dawn were the inspiration for our yellow ribbon.

 

[SprCForr]

I agree about TO and Dawn. So, we've got "Around" to the 60's, can anyone put it earlier? I knew that the original was "Soldier", and that ours one version of many. I've heard the Gunner, Trooper, Signaller versions as well. Some of those lyrics were brilliant!

Now I'm curious as to how many variants exist in the CF alone. Did the Navy/AF have a version as well?Methinks this could be the makings of another list!  ;D

 

[Acorn]

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is a 1949 John Wayne movie about the US Civil War, with a theme song suitable, and apparently based on an old "army marching song." I think it goes back at least that far. My folks had it on an old Mich Miller (and his orchestra0 record from the 50s or 60s. Like many marching songs it had variations involving things other than ribbons and fathers' shotguns.

IIRC the recent incarnation goes back to the US hostanges in Iran in '79-'80.

Acorn

 

[Strike]

All you ever wanted to know about the yellow ribbon:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/yellowribbon.htm

 

[SprCForr]

So to sum up, the connection between the yellow ribbon and soldiers being away has been around for quite a while (the song/ballad), but no-one physically tied ribbon around tree's until the 80's. Go figure.

Learned something new today.

 

[darmil]

Where can you get the yellow ribbon (support our troops)?

 

[meg]

"Where can you get the yellow ribbon?"  (MikeH)

Any yellow ribbon will do.  Mom used to make wreaths with yellow ribbon all the time when I was a kid.  There may be some fundraiser floating around out there that actually sells pre-cut pieces of ribbon with a straight pin (I don't know), but the easiest thing to do is just go to Wal-Mart and buy a spool.  I think the tradition is pretty much that you supply yourself with the ribbon when a loved one is deployed.

 

[Elisha]

Or if you want them already made, I got them from the MFRC, they sell the car magnets, the pins, the 'ribbon' ones...


Elisha

 

[darmil]

Thx,I'm looking for the car magnets.

 

[TCBF]

We could do our country a lot more good by binning the yellow trinkets and supporting our troops through intelligent voting.

Tom

 

[tourwife]

Although I do my best to vote at each election, I don't think there's an intelligent vote either way. Seems to me politicians will do their very best to screw the country either way.

 

[*star]

Where can you get the yellow ribbon (support our troops)?

You can the yellow ribbon car magnet at your local CANEX

 

[The Gues-|-]

Are there any other places or sources that sell these yellow ribbons?  Thanks in advance!

 

[Siggywife]

Most Canex stores sell them.. now they seem to have the digital cam ones as well...  Really works great on a green car as my DH found out..LOL.. ;D

Siggy

 

[The Gues-|-]

Aside from CANEX, are they sold anywhere else?

 

[CdnArtyWife]

Although it is great that the Canex sells them, and in a round about way through Canex profits going to SISIP, then trickling down through PSP you are supporting the troops in a literal sense. However, the car magnets that the MFRCs sell have a much more direct line of support for the troops.

Our MFRC here in Gagetown started the magnet campaign and supplies most MFRCs nationally by sending them CMTT to the other centers, the are sold by the Deployment Support (Family Separation and Reunion) Coordinators as part of a fundraiser for their program area. All the profits (approx 50% of the $5 cost per unit) are put directly into their program area, used to help provide programs such as Deployment Pamper Me nights, Coffee get togethers, Deployment family activities and activities for children experiencing a deployed parent. These magnets support the "heroes behind the heroes" and help with the mental health and well being of those left at home while their family member is away on deployment. So when a person buys a magnet from the MFRC you are not only stating publicly that you support the troops, you are actually doing so, by supporting their families.

Gagetown also sells a red and white bracelet with Support Our Troops  Soutenons nos troupes  imbedded into them for $3, and again the profits go to the Deployment Support Programs.