She wore a yellow ribbon. Russ Morgan

After Custer and the 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Indians, everyone expects the worst. Capt. Nathan Brittles (John Ford) is ordered out on patrol but he’s also required to take along Abby Allshard (Mildred Natwick), wife of the Fort’s commanding officer, and her niece, the pretty Olivia Dandridge (Joanne Dru), who are being evacuated for their own safety. Brittles is only a few days away from retirement and Olivia has caught the eye of two of the young officers in the Company, Lt. Flint Cohill (John Agar) and 2nd Lt. Ross Pennell (Harry Carey Jr.). She’s taken to wearing a yellow ribbon in her hair, a sign that she has a beau in the Cavalry, but refuses to say for whom she is wearing it. This traditional song is the official anthem of the United States Cavalry/Armour and is still used by the US military to keep marching cadence. The song/poem has appeared in various forms for at least four centuries and is based on the tradition of a yellow ribbon being associated with those waiting for the