Dr. Clif CleavelandNational media and congressmen have unleashed withering condemnation of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl before the facts in his case have been established. Compassion for one of our wounded warriors has been submerged beneath a wave of criticism regarding the circumstances of his recent release from captivity and why he was captured in the first place.
Bergdahl was 23 when he walked away from his Afghanistan base and was captured by Taliban fighters in June 2009. He was released on May 14 in exchange for five prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. Bergdahl has been tried and convicted in the media-driven court of public opinion. The circumstances of his release have been denounced by a number of congressmen and commentators. A timeout is needed so facts can be assembled.
Bergdahl’s medical and psychological evaluations must be carefully performed. Doctor-patient confidentiality must be respected. The health and welfare of this fellow American must be the primary concern for now. The circumstances of his capture and subsequent events can be addressed only when his health is restored.
My first contact with a former prisoner of war occurred in Oxford, England, where I became acquainted with Fred Wappner, a staff member at my college. He had been captured in World War II at Dunkirk, one of the British soldiers left behind to hold the perimeter against Nazi forces. He spent five years in captivity. Tuberculosis contracted during internment would resurface years later. He chose to treat his POW years as if they did not exist. He devoted his post-war energies to his family and his job.
During my military service, a group of soldiers released by their North Vietnamese captors were sent to our hospital for evaluation and extensive debriefing. In my limited contact with these men, they seemed constantly dazed and distracted. I was not privy to their psychological evaluations or debriefing.