27 October—It was in 1973 that Tony Orlando and Dawn topped the pop-music charts internationally with “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.” Here’s a précis of the ditty: “I’m comin’ home, I’ve done my time. You’ll know just what to do if you still want me. Tie a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree. It’s been three long years, do you still want me? If I don’t see a ribbon round the ole oak tree, I’ll stay on the bus, forget about us . . . blah, blah, and blah.”

But it wasn’t until the end of 1979 that real yellow ribbons really tied around real oak trees made the news. That’s when they were used to show support for the American hostages held by the Iranian Islamic fundamentalist buggers who had overthrown the moribund Shah, the idea of Penelope Laingen, wife of hostage Bruce Laingen. Bruce died in July 2019 at 96; Penelope died in April at 89.

Assuming Mrs. Laingen was aware of the hit song that was probably still being played on pop radio in 1979, she likely chose yellow ribbons rather than any other color because the hostages were essentially prisoners and they were coming home. Hopefully. And yellow ribbons were easy to get. On the other hand, did anyone not want any hostages to return? Probably, but we won’t go there.

To cut to this morning’s semiotic chase, here’s an alphabetized list of maladies, causes, and lobbies—in addition to troop remembrance and support, of course—that have adopted the yellow ribbon:

Adenosarcoma, Adoptive Parents, Bladder Cancer, Bone Cancer, Canadian Cancer Society, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Complementary/Alternative Medicine, Craniofacial Acceptance, Endometriosis, Epithelioid Sarcoma, Equality, Ewing’s Sarcoma, Hydrocephalus, Liver Cancer, Microcephaly, Missing Children, Missing Persons, Myxoid Liposarcoma, POW/MIA, Obesity, Osteosarcoma, Refugees Welcome, Remembrance, Sarcoma, Spina Bifida, Suicide Prevention, The Disappeared.

Amber ribbons, a bit darker than yellow ribbons, represent the Amber Alert, of course, as well as Appendix Cancer and Pseudomyxoma Peritonei.

Gold ribbons (presumably yellow gold rather than white or pink gold) are used by Childhood Cancer, Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, Neuroblastoma, and Osteosarcoma.

Is that an education in medical nomenclature or what?