A collection of nearly 300 pages of classified World War II documents, containing firsthand accounts from American prisoners of war, was discovered by a homeowner in Waterloo, New York. Jason Hurdle, 74, found the trove of documents marked 'secret' in a hidden crawlspace in his garage while cleaning the property he has owned for 14 years.
The documents detail harrowing experiences of POWs, including descriptions of brutal conditions and intelligence gathered for military tribunals. Historians were previously unaware of these accounts, and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) confirmed their authenticity and former classification status. The files were not on NARA's list of missing documents.
Hurdle, whose home has been in his wife's family for generations, has expressed surprise at the discovery, stating he is unsure how the documents came to be on his property. He noted a former neighbor had historical memorabilia, but could not confirm a connection.
One account details the experience of Julian Candelaria, who described witnessing "60 men in boxcars," enduring days of travel with "no food no water, no sanitary facilities, crowded, exposed to bombing." Candelaria's obituary indicates he never discussed his experiences after returning home.
Another account from Henry Daly recounts the difficult conditions as "a very sad example of what the US soldier was like." His great-grandson, Michael Yanes, told The Washington Post that Daly rarely spoke of his wartime experiences and struggled with symptoms that led him to sleep in parks. "Seeing these words written is quite heavy," Yanes said.
The POWs were instructed to document their experiences upon arrival at Camp Lucky Strike in Normandy, with some of these records later used as evidence of war crimes. The newly discovered documents will be digitized and added to similar collections at the National Archives.
NARA spokeswoman Grace McCaffrey emphasized the importance of the find for preserving and providing public access to national history. The discovery follows other recent finds of historical government records, including US Navy records related to the Apollo missions, a pardon signed by President Franklin Pierce, and a secret House of Representatives vote tally sheet. A letter from Army 1st Lt JEB Stuart to then-Secretary of War Jefferson Davis has also been recovered and is slated for digitization.
