Five years ago, I publicly raised questions about Bowe Bergdahl’s desertion.
A few weeks after his so-called “capture” in late June 2009, three conflicting accounts surfaced: US officials told The Associated Press Bergdahl had “walked off” the base with three Afghans; the Taliban claimed on its Web site that “a drunken American soldier had come out of his garrison” and into their arms; and Bergdahl claimed in his Taliban “hostage video” that he had “lagged behind a patrol” before being captured.
I asked on my blog: Were the AP’s sources mistaken? Or is the disturbing first account the right one? What about the “three Afghans” Bergdahl reportedly “just walked off” with after his shift?
Five years ago, one of the brave soldiers who risked his life to search for Bergdahl answered my questions, and I published his statement on July 20, 2009: “I know the story and the accounts that he was drunk or that he was lagging behind on patrol are not true — this soldier planned this move for a long time. He walked off the post with a day’s supply of water and had written down before that he wanted to live in the mountains . . . He is an embarrassment to everyone who has worn the uniform.”
After news broke of President Obama’s trade of five high-level Taliban commanders at Gitmo for Bergdahl’s “freedom,” I heard from another soldier who served on the search team. “Many of my brothers died because of Bergdahl’s actions,” he told me after documenting his proof of service.
Other journalists ignored his attempts to get the truth out. My source still holds a highly sensitive position, so you won’t see him on the cable news shows. But he wants you to know the hell he and his comrades have been reliving.
‘‘Bergdahl was already disenchanted with the war effort,” my source said, and on June 30, 2009, “Bergdahl completed a guard shift . . . and left with several Afghan security forces personnel . . . His exact intentions may never be known, but he willingly walked off and was secured by enemy forces not long after.”
The day Bergdahl disappeared, the soldier was told “we were going to get him . . . We never made it to the landing zone, as the helicopters took very heavy fire on approach . . . and had to divert.”
On the morning of July 4, 2009, the soldier recalled, “we assaulted several objectives looking for Bergdahl . . . The enemy took advantage of Bergdahl’s capture and attacked numerous outposts that morning.”
He said Pfcs. Justin Casillas and Aaron Fairbairn were killed and multiple soldiers were wounded that day.
“Bergdahl’s actions undoubtedly caused these events,” the soldier said. “We spent the remainder of Independence Day walking in the desert . . . waiting for aircraft that did not come for many, many hours.”
He continued: “A few days later, we conducted a daylight raid on some tents looking for Bergdahl . . . Multiple people died that day . . . All of this happened because Bergdahl got tired of playing soldier . . . Countless members of the brigade were wounded, and we lost good friends, among them Pfc. Matthew Martinek and 2nd Lt. Darryn Andrews. I have no doubt these great men would be alive if Bergdahl did not leave.”
In addition to Andrews, Casillas, Fairbairn and Martinek, Pfc. Morriss Walker and Staff Sgts. Clayton Bowen, Kurt Curtiss and Michael Murphrey died as a result of Bergdahl’s abandonment. That’s eight dead American soldiers (not six, as the rest of the media have reported) betrayed by selfish Bergdahl and reckless President Obama.
My source did not mince words: “The fact that they exchanged five war criminals for a traitor is sickening. The worst part for those of us that suffered through that time is that . . . Bergdahl is being hailed as some kind of hero . . . I am glad he is safe . . . but he should return home to face a court-martial.”
Are you listening, Capitol Hill and America?