THE GULF WAR : Tree Shrine

A TAG-BEDECKED TREE in Portsmouth, Ohio, stands as a proud reminder of the troops in the Gulf. Virginia and Jim Wisener first decorated the 25-foot tree in honor of their son, who is serving in the Mideast. Later, others asked if they could add the names of their loved ones. Now, more than 300 wooden tags with the names of servicemen and women are tied by yellow ribbons among the branches. The tags will remain until the war ends. “We’ll leave them there until they all come home, then every one of them can pick up their own,” Virginia Wisener said.