Tony Orlando Welcomes Troops Home

01/13/2004 8:10 AM, AP
The Associated Press

Tony Orlando, whose "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" became an anthem for people waiting for loved ones in military service, helped welcome members of an Air Force Reserve unit back home from Iraq .

After Orlando and his band entertained at a gathering for members of the 442nd Fighter Wing, the commander, Col. Patrick Cord, presented the 59-year-old singer with a unit ball cap and a flight jacket embroidered with his name and the "Let's Roll" insignia.

In 1973, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree" resonated with many as Americans celebrated the return of POWs at the end of the Vietnam War.

At the Cotton Bowl that year, Orlando and comedian Bob Hope welcomed home more than 580 Americans who had been imprisoned in Vietnam.

"'Tie a Yellow Ribbon' hadn't reached No. 1 yet, but Bob Hope told me, 'They're going to be singing that song for a long time,'" Orlando said.

"The first line tells the story, 'I'm coming home, I've done my time,'" he said. "The yellow ribbon has become a symbol of homecoming, freedom and hope."