Inside Hailey, Idaho - Bowe Bergdahl's Hometown
Coffee shop where returning POW worked became hub for memories and well-wishes.
HAILEY, Idaho, June 2, 2014 — -- Yellow ribbons and signs adorn Hailey, Idaho, returning POW Bowe Bergdahl's hometown, but the focal point of the area's drive to bring the local son home is Zaney's coffee shop.
Army Sgt. Bergdahl was taken prisoner in Afghanistan five years ago, but has finally been freed after a swap for five Taliban prisoners held by the United States at Guantanamo. He was being treated today at a military hospital in Germany and was expected to return home soon.
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The Bergdahl home sits behind a closed gate hung with a "No Trespassing" sign, a single yellow ribbon visible on the porch, but the media has been welcomed and granted interviews at Zaney's, where Bowe Bergdahl once worked.
The coffee shop's owner, Sue Martin, has said the Bergdahl family asked her five years ago to coordinate the media campaign for Bergdahl's return. There are "Standing With Bowe" stickers at the counter, rubber wristbands, hats, and a wall where people can place well-wishes for Bergdahl and read articles written about his plight.
Now, after five years, many are hoping to get back to life as normal.
"It's cheerful," Martin told ABC News of the mood in the store today. "The people coming in express their relief for the family and Bowe. Some even end up crying. It's a huge sense of relief."
ABC News' Neal Karlinsky, Brandon Chase and Michael S. James contributed to this report
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