Could Bergdahl be a symbol of national angst that time is on the Taliban’s side and that the now-scheduled U.S. departure from Afghanistan—which indirectly hastened Bergdahl’s release—makes the sacrifices in lives, casualties, treasure, and spirit America devoted to that cause ever more difficult to measure, let alone justify? This feels all the more gut-wrenching during the week commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

I asked former Sen. Bob Kerrey, a Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient who lost part of his leg in Vietnam, these questions. His answers were more haunting than I expected. We started with the Bergdahl case.

“He’s got men in his own unit asking for him to be court-martialed,” Kerrey said. “That matters. If he had fought his way out of an ambush and then was captured by the Taliban it would be a much different deal.”…

“There are so many things weighing down on these kids. [Bergdahl’s case] brings so much of it up to the surface. Maybe we should lay off on Bergdahl.”