The Wallets of Camp Roberts

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake enters one of hundreds of wooden barracks, looking for wallets or anything of interest in the heating ducts of the old, abandoned buildings that date back to World War II.  (Al Seib / LAT)

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake looks for wallets or anything else of interest in the heating ducts of abandoned World War II-era barracks in Paso Robles. Murotake suspects that a perpetrator nabbed a wallet, took the cash and “chucked the rest into the heating duct overhead.”  (Al Seib / LAT)

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake looks for wallets or anything else of interest in the heating ducts of abandoned barracks dating back to World War II.  (Al Seib / LAT)

California Army Nartional Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake takes a closer look at film found in a wallet for clues about the owner.  (Al Seib / LAT)

Wallet and enclosed photos, letters and a dog tag belonging to Joe Dean Hougland, 73, described as a “Crocodile Dundee-type believed to be wandering the desert between Arizona and Mexico.” The belongings were found during demolitions of barracks at Camp Roberts in Paso Robles that unearthed 25 wallets dating back to World War II.  (Al Seib / LAT)

Robert Morning of Rialto looks closely at the items from his old wallet that California Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake brought to him. The items were found during demolitions of World War II-era barracks at Camp Roberts, near Paso Robles.  (Al Seib / LAT)

Robert Morning of Rialto holds his driver’s license, Social Security card and picture of his sister that California Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake brought to him. The items were recovered during demolition of World War II-era barracks at Camp Roberts near Paso Robles.  (Al Seib / LAT)