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TAMPA, Fla. — Following the passage of Hurricane Debby, a remarkable discovery was made by a woman from Tampa Bay: a message in a bottle dating back to World War II.
Suzanne Flament-Smith recounted to CBS News affiliate WTSP that while walking along Bayshore Boulevard, she was struck by the amount of debris littered across Safety Harbor, particularly after the storm’s surge.
“I was overwhelmed by all the plastic waste. It really bothered me,” she noted. “I usually keep a trash bag and gloves in my car for this reason.”
Taking matters into her own hands, Flament-Smith began picking up trash, and it was during this effort that she stumbled upon the significant find.
“As I filled my third bag, I spotted a glass bottle with visible writing — a note and some scripture,” she shared. “I couldn’t believe it; I thought I had found a genuine message in a bottle.”
Recognizing the unique nature of her discovery, she carefully carried the bottle home to open it with her family.
Inside, alongside various items like shells, a bullet casing, and a “mini cannonball,” the most intriguing find was the note itself, as she revealed to WTSP.
The note was written in cursive on an aged piece of paper, much of which was faded. Flament-Smith read parts of it aloud: “Dear Lee, I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you.”
It appeared to be a correspondence between two friends, Lee and Chris, with references to school and a date written as “3/4/45,” neatly affixed to a U.S. Navy letterhead from the Amphibious Training Base in Little Creek, Virginia.
“It seemed to suggest a military connection, possibly a letter from a Navy serviceman to a friend, as it expressed a desire to see him,” Flament-Smith noted.
Although the base now stands as Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, it has roots linked to World War II, when it served as a training ground for amphibious forces during pivotal operations such as D-Day.
After learning about Flament-Smith’s discovery, the Navy expressed interest in investigating the letter’s origins and the identity of its author. Navy public affairs officer April Phillips mentioned to WTSP, “We’ll start some sleuthing to see what we can uncover, and I’m excited about the potential stories we might learn from this historical find.”
Flament-Smith’s initiative in cleaning up the environment may have inadvertently unveiled a cherished piece of history, which she hopes can be connected back to its original context. “I always tell my kids that when you do good, good things come back to you,” she reflected. “There’s an exhilarating sense of discovery, and I believe we can find a way to bring this story home.”
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