PORT ANGELES — The discovery in May of a World War II prisoner of war’s diary began with a box of garage sale books on its way to the garbage dump at Hansville in Kitsap County.
But a stop at a used book dealer in Kingston and months of tireless research uncovered a long-lost personal treasure and priceless historical artifact.
What could be the only personal diary from a World War II Clallam County-born prisoner of war held by the Japanese was uncovered by Jonathan Smith, 46, of Suquamish in the box that was going to the dump.
And the prisoner of war who risked his life to keep the diary, James Merrill McGrath, was born in a Merrill and Ring Timber Co. logging camp at Pysht on Dec. 22, 1913.
The book dealer saw a 1889 edition of Ben-Hur that included photographs, as well as a 1900 edition of The Passion Play, that he thought might interest Smith.
The first thing Smith noticed was three oil-soaked dollar bills, one of which had “U.S.S. Calhoun 8/29/1942” written on it.
Then Smith began going through everything in the box, page by page, until he came upon the lost diary.
As he read the nine pages of neatly typewritten notes, Smith said he realized there was far too much detail for a post-war memoir. It had to be a diary of current events.
The writings included detailed dietary information, such as ounces of water and grains of rice fed, as well as current events involving the prisoners of war of the Japanese and attacks on the camps by American military forces.
Included with the diary and the books were Japanese and Chinese currency, stamps and the “blue book” issued to U.S. Navy officers.
Smith said when he saw the name “James M. McGrath” at the top of the typewritten pages, he decided to try finding living family members.
