A homeowner in rural New York has discovered a trove of nearly 300 pages of classified documents detailing the harrowing experiences of American prisoners of war during World War II. Jason Hurdle, 74, found the documents in a hidden crawlspace in the garage of his home in Waterloo, New York.
Hurdle, who has lived in the home for 14 years, was cleaning the garage in July when he stumbled upon the previously unknown compartment. Inside, he found a box of documents marked 'secret.' The homeowner took the files to a local library, which then referred them to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). NARA officials confirmed the documents are genuine and were once classified.
"I'm in podunk little Waterloo, New York, and this went all the way to the National Archives. We're kind of in shock here," Hurdle told The Washington Post.
The home has been in his wife's family for generations, and Hurdle remains unsure how the files ended up in his garage. He mentioned a former neighbor had memorabilia from an ancestor, but it's unclear if that is related.
The documents contain firsthand accounts from POWs who were instructed to write down their experiences to gather intelligence upon arriving at Camp Lucky Strike in Normandy. Many documents from this camp have historically been used as evidence of war crimes in military tribunals.
According to NARA, historians were unaware of these specific accounts, and the files were not on the list of missing documents. "The discovery of these government records is important and meaningful to ensure preservation and public access to our country’s history," NARA spokeswoman Grace McCaffrey told The Washington Post.
One account detailed the experience of Julian Candelaria, who was held captive in a work camp for months. He described witnessing "60 men in boxcars, with no food no water, no sanitary facilities, crowded, exposed to bombing. Walked 3 days + nights with little food, no medical."
Candelaria's obituary, found by The Washington Post, noted that he refused to discuss his experiences as a prisoner of war after returning home. Another POW, Henry Daly, wrote about the conditions, describing them as "a very sad example of what the US soldier was like." He recounted hiding from bombs, which resulted in the deaths of two companions.
Michael Yanes, Daly's great-grandson, told The Washington Post that his great-grandfather rarely spoke about his time in the war. "Seeing these words written is quite heavy. This is all new to us. The emotions. I can't even describe," Yanes said.
The newly discovered documents will be digitized and placed with similar accounts at the National Archives. The National Archives also recently confirmed the discovery of 145 U.S. Navy records, including blueprints and sound recordings from an engineer involved in Apollo missions. Other historical documents recovered recently include a pardon signed by President Franklin Pierce and a tally sheet from a secret House of Representatives vote.