Members of the Boise Valley POW/MIA Corporation have supported the Bergdahl's since Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan five years ago.(Photo: KTVB-TV, Boise, Idaho)
BOISE — At a news conference Sunday, Bob and Jani Bergdahl thanked the government, the special forces on the helicopters who picked up their son, former POW Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, from the clutches of the Taliban on Saturday, as well as many others around the country for their undying support.
They also said thanks to a group with a unique perspective — a group that can understand what they're going through.
"Starting with the back row or the middle row there, all you guys," said Bob Bergdahl. "The biker dudes and dudettes around America."
Those biker dudes and dudettes, about two dozen strong, are all members of the Boise Valley POW/MIA Corporation. They've supported the Bergdahls since the sergeant's capture five years ago.
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"The biggest thing is that he's an Idaho native," said Ralph Kramer, corporation executive director. "He's one of our own. So we have to support him."
"This was a circumstance in the state of Idaho that we felt that we could step up with our experience and help the Bergdahls to, for one thing to see and show them that they were not alone in this process," said Lance Stephensen with the Boise Valley POW/MIA Corporation.
This undated image provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.(Photo: AP)
It's a process that Stephensen understands all too well. His father was missing in action in Vietnam for 21 years.
"And ultimately you gotta stick with it and stay by it and believe in it, and it ultimately worked out for us," Stephensen said. "We got my dad home. And they got Bowe home."
Bowe's transition back to life in the States will probably be long and difficult. These bikers are willing to go down that road with the Bergdahls.
"We'll support the family for as long as they want us to support them. We're there for them," Kramer said.
"You know it's going to take some time, and we need to give him as much time as he needs to get right," Stephensen said.
Bob Bergdahl added this about the support the group has shown his family.
"When you rode into Hailey that day and conveyed that we were not alone, that was really good for our souls."
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