Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl billboard in eastern Idaho
Lamar Advertising has donated more than $25,000 for 13 digital billboards to bring Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl home in Idaho. Bergdahl is a prisoner of war in Afghanistan and a native of Hailey. There are 12 “Bring home Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl” billboards in the Treasure Valley and one in eastern Idaho. The billboard in eastern Idaho is in Idaho Falls in the 900 block of Northgate mile. The 13 billboards will run through next Thursday.
Kent Marboe works for Lamar Advertising.
“It is part of our due diligence to make sure people out there know that we are not here to just make money that we are here to help. This was a serious situation that we felt Lamar needed to help with,” Marboe said.
Currently, a White House petition to bring Bowe home has about 10,000 signatures. It needs 100,000 by Sunday for the White House to look at it.
“It makes me feel sad,” said Dave Breshears.
Breshears is from Blackfoot and he signed the petition in January.
“I would really like for people to step up. He needs to be home with his loved ones and he needs to be home safe,” Breshears said.
If the petition doesn’t make it, he won’t stop trying.
“We will do whatever it takes to continue awareness. We will beat the doors down to bring him home,” he said.
Stephen Yates is the former deputy national security advisor to former vice-president Dick Cheney. He said the petition is just a public relations tool.
“There is no real reason why the administration wouldn’t have this as a priority. He is the last known prisoner of war in Afghanistan and for the sake of any future soldiers we send in the future, we have to honor our commitment and get him back,” Yates said.
Yates also cited the fact that recent video of Bowe proves that negotiations are moving forward.
Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan nearly five years ago. To sign the petition click here, https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/take-action-secure-release-or-rescue-or-sgt-bowe-bergdahl-using-all-means-available-including-force/Fm8PMy9N.
