By Jim Carlton
HAILEY, Idaho--Until his son was taken captive by the Taliban in
2009, Bob Bergdahl was known in this mountain town as an
easy-going, cheerful UPS driver, the sort who would beep the horn
on his truck simply to delight preschool children.
But over the five years of his son's captivity, Mr. Bergdahl
underwent a transformation, both physical and mental. He grew a
more than footlong beard, after vowing not to shave until his son,
U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, returned home. He also immersed
himself in the culture of his son's Taliban captors--studying the
Quran, learning the Pashto language, even setting his wristwatch to
Afghan time.
Friends say Mr. Bergdahl, a devout Christian, did so to help
gain his son's release. "What would you do if your son was
kidnapped?" said Stefanie O'Neil, a family friend. "You would learn
about his captors."
Since Sgt. Bergdahl was released last Saturday, Mr. Bergdahl, 54
years old, and his wife, Jani, 56, have kept a mostly low
profile--retreating from the public eye after appearing at press
conferences to give thanks for the return of their son. But both
father and son have become targets of criticism from politicians
and pundits.
Critics have questioned the legality and details of the deal
that freed Sgt. Bergdahl, as well as the circumstances of his
capture, which some fellow soldiers say occurred after he deserted
his post. An Army investigation of the incident indicates that he
may have left the compound and returned at least once before his
capture, said one person who read the report.
Meanwhile, the father's calls for peace in Afghanistan and his
immersion in Afghan culture have been faulted by critics.
Supporters of the family had planned a celebration of Sgt.
Bergdahl's return for June 28. But Hailey City Administrator
Heather Dawson said the city canceled it Wednesday at the request
of organizers, who worried about large crowds and the likelihood of
protests by critics.
Mr. Bergdahl and his wife declined to comment through a family
spokesman, Col. Timothy Marsano of the Idaho National Guard. But
friends and acquaintances in this town of 8,000 near the famous Sun
Valley Resort resort paint a picture of a family that was
well-liked, if a bit eccentric.
Before moving here from California with his wife about 30 years
ago, Mr. Bergdahl was a world-class bicycle racer--even riding with
cycling legend Greg LeMond, said Chip Deffé, co-owner of Sun Summit
South, a bicycle shop in Hailey where Mr. Bergdahl works
part-time.
Mr. Deffé said Mr. Bergdahl gave up a potential racing career to
help raise Sgt. Bergdahl and his sister, Sky Albrecht, at a
farmhouse in a sage-covered canyon outside town. To support his
family, he worked as a UPS driver, impressing some customers with
his knowledge on a wide-range of subjects. "I knew him as a really
intelligent, well-versed UPS guy who had more than 2,000 books in
his home," said Ms. O'Neil, 37.
He has remained an avid cyclist, going on rides as long as 100
miles, Mr. Deffé said. "Bob's favorite thing is to have a pastry in
the middle of it," said Mr. Deffé, 54. "He calls it his Pastry
Ride." Sgt. Bergdahl rode bicycles, too, but was more enamored of
off-road motorcycles, Mr. Deffé added.
Friends say Sgt. Bergdahl had many other interests, including
fencing, target shooting and ballet. Even as a toddler, the son
seemed unusually focused, like his dad, said Mur Gough, 56, who
once owned an art shop in Hailey where the Bergdahl children
visited. "He was just a mellow little guy who sat and painted," Ms.
Gough said.
Later, Sgt. Bergdahl became more adventurous. His mother said at
a local event last year that he sailed through the Panama Canal and
then bought a motorcycle to ride the California coast. But after he
joined the Army in 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan, "we were
all scared," said Lee Ann Ferris, a neighbor.
Soon after Sgt. Bergdahl was taken prisoner in 2009, his father
vowed to do something about it. "He was frustrated," said another
neighbor, Conrad Casser, 66. "He was thinking of going over there
himself."
Instead, other friends say, he committed himself to learn as
much as he could about his son's captors. Mr. Deffé said his
friend, who has long attended a local Presbyterian church, wasn't
seeking to convert to Islam, but find a way to persuade the Taliban
to release his son.
"Bob said the Quran is just like the Bible, if you get down to
it," Mr. Deffé said. "The nitty-gritty is about peace."
Residents of Hailey kept Sgt. Bergdahl in mind by tying yellow
ribbons around trees and holding commemorations, such as one last
year in a local park at which his father spoke some words in
Pashto. "May we, after 12 long years, see peace happen in
Afghanistan," he said, according to local media accounts. "Bowe, my
son, if you can hear me on BBC Radio, you are part of the peace
process. You are part of ending the Afghanistan war, like we have
known for some time."
Even as he focused on his son's fate, Mr. Bergdahl stayed
connected to everyday life in Hailey. About three years ago, Mr.
Deffé said, he retired from UPS after 28 years, "but the next day
he was in my shop asking for a job. He said he'd work for bike
parts."
Last Saturday at the White House, Mr. Bergdahl spoke Pashto as
he stood alongside President Barack Obama in a Rose Garden
announcement of his son's release.
That evening, Mr. Bergdahl called the bike shop in Hailey. "He
apologized that he wouldn't be able to make it to work Tuesday,"
Mr. Deffé said. "He said, 'I know you will have a busy day.' "
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires