This is very interesting. This song is quite popular in the assisted living and retirement communities where I sing regularly, and it is often requested. I had thought it was composed in the 1970s, but many residents act as though it is a WWII song (e.g., requesting it during Veterans' Day progams, along with the special "War Era" songs). (I took the "done my time" as referring to military service, and the "...still in prison..." comment as perhaps metaphoric for various aspects of military life and war.)

But the articles you are posting seem to pin its origins to the '60s or '70s, so unless I hear otherwise, I'll go with the stories you've linked to or posted.

The confusion may stem from the facts that:
-- this was one of the songs from the '70s that resonated with my parents' generation (being sung on Lawrence Welk, and all), and
-- the song "Around Her Neck She Wore A Yellow Ribbon," which was, in fact sung in WWII (as well as in other contexts).

Genie