No hero's welcome for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

HAILEY, Idaho - There will be no hero's welcome for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in his hometown, no fanfare of parades, music or picnics in the park.

A planned celebration for the end of June marking his return after five years of Taliban captivity in Afghanistan has been scrapped, largely due to security concerns as his release has touched off a nationwide debate. Was he an American prisoner of war who should be welcomed home after years in the enemy's hands or a deserter who abandoned his unit who should be punished accordingly?

For those who knew Bergdahl and his family in this small central Idaho town surrounded by forests and mountains, the politics of war have no place. They just want Bergdahl back home.

"It's like a modern day lynching. He hasn't even been able to give his side of the story yet. This community will welcome him back no matter what," said Lee Ann Ferris, who lives next door to the Bergdahl family and watched Bowe grow up. "He's a hometown kid and he's already suffered enough."

The town of 8,000 has been swamped with hate mail and angry calls, labeling the 28-year-old Bergdahl un-American and a traitor. Given the prospect of large crowds on both sides of the debate, organizers abruptly canceled their welcome home celebration.


Hailey Chamber of Commerce President Jane Drussel said she and the organization have gotten angry mail and calls from people lambasting the town's plans.


Meanwhile, the Taliban released a 17-minute video of his weekend handover, an exchange for the U.S releasing five Taliban detainees. The footage shows a thin, tense-looking Bergdahl being patted down for explosives by U.S. forces before climbing aboard an American helicopter in the dusty Afghanistan desert.

Bergdahl was captured after walking away from his unit, unarmed, in 2009. He's currently at a military hospital in Germany, where he was reported in stable condition.

His parents have spoken publicly only briefly since his release. Several cars were parked outside their modest home Wednesday behind a closed gate with signs that read, "Guard dog on duty" and "No Trespassing."



A Taliban statement quoted leader Mullah Mohammad Omar as saying the release of the five Taliban was a significant achievement. President Barack Obama has defended the swap, citing a "sacred" obligation to not leave men and women in uniform behind.

Hoping to ease mounting criticism, officials from the State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies briefed senators behind closed doors Wednesday evening. They showed the lawmakers a 1 1/2-minute video provided by the Taliban that proved Bergdahl was alive and indicated to the administration that his deteriorating health required quick action.


The administration is required to notify Congress 30 days before transferring Guantanamo detainees, but the White House thought waiting was too risky - that too much could go wrong in a month so they went forward with the fast-moving negotiations.

In an interview that aired Thursday on the BBC, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said: "Can you imagine if we would have waited or taken the chance of leaks? Over a 30 day period? ... That would have seriously imperiled us ever getting him out."



Hagel said the Army will review the case, and cautioned against drawing conclusions.

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