Yellow Ribbons and Remembrance: Mythic Symbols of the Gulf War*

Abstract

The display of yellow ribbons during the Gulf War is analyzed as a form of social signification. Community displays, newspaper articles, editorials and letters, and the appearance of ribbons as commodities and in advertising campaigns are discussed. The study concludes that the legacy of the Vietnam War impelled citizens to create a fundamentally emotional message to troops and their families. Yellow ribbons, perceived as personal not political, emerged as the symbol of choice.