Bowe
Bergdahl’s Former Roommates Paint Different Picture of Controversial Soldier
By LAUREN
EFFRON 21 hours ago
Controversy
has surrounded newly freed Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl since his release from
Taliban captivity, with some in the military, including members of his own
unit, claiming he is a deserter, not a war hero.
But Sherry Horton knows a different Bergdahl
than the one the world has come to see in the chilling proof of life videos the
Taliban released.
"He's a very interesting guy, he was
very quiet, he was an observer," Horton said.
Horton, the artistic director of Sun Valley
Ballet in Idaho, said she was Bergdahl's ballet teacher and later, she became
his roommate in his hometown of Hailey, Idaho, when Bergdahl was about 18 or 19
years old. She describes Bergdahl as someone who was interested in mixed
martial arts, culture, languages and learning new things.
"He was a wonderful [ballet] partner,
all the girls enjoyed dancing with him because he was so strong and
steady," she said.
Horton said Bergdahl didn't talk about
Afghanistan much, and they more or less lost touch after he was deployed, but
said he wanted to go.
U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl (C) waits in a pick-up
truck before he is freed at the Afghan border.
Full, who was honorably discharged in November
2011, said he roomed with Bergdahl when they were stationed in Alaska before
their deployment to Afghanistan. After deployment, Full said Bergdahl was in
the room across from his in the building where his platoon was housed.
While in Alaska, Full said Bergdahl kept to himself
mostly.
"We tried to involve him in team activities
multiple times. Playing video games maybe drinking a few beers after work or on
the weekends, barbecuing, doing things outside of work, as teammates and
friends and platoonmates," Full said. "The majority of the time he
wasn't interested."
Then, after they were deployed, Full said Bergdahl
started to openly criticize their mission.
"He voiced his concern to our team leader and
multiple others a few times. He talked about how he didn't understand why we
were doing what we were doing and how we needed to do this or do that,"
Full said.
A senior
official told ABC News that it's unclear how Bergdahl got off base the night in
June 2009 when he disappeared and it's still unclear how he came in contact
with the Taliban. But the senior official said a note that Bergdahl left at his
post before he walked away could help tell the story.
When Bergdahl was released, the
White House praised the return of the soldier, but Full said he found
Bergdahl's hero's welcome "frustrating."
"There was real heroes over there that upheld
their oath, swore by their oath, upheld their military procedures, followed
orders, did what was expected of them when you become a member of the armed
forces and some of them didn't come home and he's getting to come home and he's
not a hero," he said. "Somebody that deserts is not a hero."
Horton said she wasn't surprised to hear his
platoonmates' feelings about Bergdahl and the controversy surrounding his
release.
"It hurts because once again they don't know
him, they haven't talked to him either so they are making--they are prejudging,
so it's hurtful," she said. "One of the reasons why he wanted to join
the army was because one of his really strong beliefs was our rights as
Americans, freedom of speech... this is one of the things that was closest to
Bowe, is that we have these rights."
ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Neal Karlinsky and Cindy
Smith contributed to this report.
2 comments:
When is the taliban not the taliban?
Only the CIA knows.
Unless you are defending your own country from invaders, there is NO such thing as a 'war hero'. When will Americans grow up????????? The world is waiting.
Post a Comment