8,000 has been a cornerstone of support for the bergdahls, ensuring that he d never be forgotten. there s one tree for either year that bowe has been held captive. reporter: few have been committed to that cause as stephanie o neil. we re anxious to get him home. we know it s going to be a long process but we re hoping that day comes sooner rather than later. reporter: yellow ribbons and balloons line the main street. symbols of solidarity for a hometown hero who has finally been set free. what are you going to say to bowe when you see him? what do you think that s going to be like for you? i ve thought about that. i think it s going to be quite silent and very dear embrace. people here are aware the criticism. his release has not been without controversy. people here are aware that some call him a deserter or that he abandoned his post. people here in haley, though, they don t really care about that right now, ashleigh, they re focused that he s been released and they can
residents there. there s a lot of balloons and yellow ribbons. those ribbons were put up in july 2009 to show solidarity with the bergdahl family and actually when i spoke to stephanie o neil yesterday, she mentioned that the handful of years that bergdahl has been in captivity, actually, 4 years and 11 months, some of the moments have been very difficult for his supporters. she said that there were moments in the last couple of years where people in hailey believed that he may never come home. but it was the unwavering support and hope of the parents, bob and jani bergdahl, that really gave the community so much hope that one day he would return and this is the day that so many people have been waiting for. we re just outside of hailey, idaho, and stephanie o neil tells me that every window has a bowe is home at last and is