Hidden WWII message found in glass bottle while cleaning Hurricane Debby debris in Florida

Suzanne Flament-Smith made an unexpected discovery while picking up trash along Bayshore Boulevard this week. Amidst the storm debris littering the shoreline of Safety Harbor, a city on Tampa Bay’s western shore, Flament-Smithfound a glass bottle containing a mysterious note.

Flament-Smith, who regularly carries a trash bag and gloves in her car for clean-up efforts, was particularly struck by the large amount of plastic waste left by a recent storm. "The amount of plastic was overwhelming," she told CBS News affiliate WTSP. "It was driving me crazy."

Determined to tackle the mess, she began collecting trash and, during her efforts, came across the intriguing bottle. “As I was filling my third bag, I noticed a glass bottle with writing visible through the glass. It looked like a message in a bottle,” she recounted.

Hidden WWII message found in glass bottle

Flament-Smith posted about her discovery on Facebook, showcasing a note written in cursive on a weathered piece of paper with many of the words faded. She captioned the post, "Thank you Aaron & Alessandra in FL, and Alyssa in VA, for covering this story and helping find the bottle its home!"

After carefully bringing the bottle home, Flament-Smith and her family opened it to reveal its contents: a collection of shells, a bullet casing, a small cannonball, sand and most notably, an old, faded note written in cursive. The message inside remains partially legible but adds to the bottle’s mystique.

Flament-Smith’s find serves as a poignant reminder of the stories and surprises that can emerge from even the most routine tasks.

Among the partially legible messages was a date: 3/4/45, next to a U.S. Navy letterhead from the Amphibious Training Base in Little Creek, Virginia. The letter appeared to be from a Navy serviceman during World War II to a friend, mentioning a future radio school and plans to meet.

Navy public affairs officer April Phillips is investigating the letter's authenticity, intrigued by its historical significance.

(With inputs from agencies)