30 Jun June 30, 1945

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
June 30th, 1945. Saturday night, midnight

Dearest Wes,

Well we’re here, believe it or not!  Gladys didn’t have to work this a.m.
after all but as we got a letter from Claude yesterday saying they wouldn’t
get here until 3:00 p.m., we didn’t start until 2:00 p.m.

After breakfast I drove into Crown Point for my Federal Use Tax sticker
($5.00) as the old one expired today.  I also bought a pair of overalls for
Ronnie and sunglasses for both of us.  Ronnie looks too cute for words in his.

I don’t feel so hot as it’s my third day with a sore throat again.  Can’t
figure out how I can get ’em all the time as my tonsils are out.  Guess I just
don’t live right.

Just about noon I called Mrs. Page and asked if I’d had any mail and lo and
behold, there was a V-mail dated June 17th.  (The last letter I got nine days
ago dated

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June 13th).  I asked her to read it over the phone as I was so anxious to hear
about you.  You spoke of having more x-rays and so on.  I s’pose I have
letters coming dated between the 13th and 17th, so I sent Mrs. Page a
forwarding address today and several special delivery stamps.

How are the penicillin treatments working?  Any improvement?  I hope so and
also hope they can clear up that sinus infection, also your "tummy".

We arrived here at about 6:00 p.m., although we started at 2:00 p.m.  Gladys
had had new rings put in her car so we could drive only 40 miles per hour. Her
speedometer doesn’t work, so I had to drive first to gauge her speed.
On top of that, her radiator was clogged so that it boiled over all the time.
We stopped and drained out a flush she had in it, but it still was hot.  Later
we stopped again and the fellow put in a Dupont flush and we

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finally got here.  Just as we pulled up, Claude came up to Gladys’ car and
informed her, her tire was flat so he went back to Monticello for her and
bought a new tube for $4.60.  She sure had a lot of tough luck, and
considering she has to return to work Monday a.m., the trip was hardly worth
it.

When we got here, we had a supper of tenderized ham, baked beans, peas,
lettuce salad, and bread, gravy, and ice cream.  We had only a roll and
coffee for lunch, so it tasted good to us.

I had a <? fingerwane> in Crown Pt just before we left from Ruby (a cousin of
Murray’s).  Do you know her?  It was a dollar wasted as it rained all
afternoon except for the fact that it’s clean, the <? wane> is gone.  Just my
luck again.

The cottage Claude rented is very

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nice and large too.  It fronts on the lake and has a large dining room (with
fireplace), kitchen (water pump by the sink, and gasoline stove), three
bedrooms.  One bedroom has a double bed for (Jo and Claude), mine has a
double bed and a single bed for Ronnie, the other bedroom has a double bed
and two 3/4 beds (for the kids), and tonight Gladys is there too.  All in all,

three double beds and three 3/4 beds.  I’m glad Ronnie and I have a room by
ourselves as he’ll sleep much better that way.  He slept for an hour on the
way down here and fell right asleep when we put him to bed tonight.  First
thing he got here, he begged to go boat riding, but it was too cold and rainy.
There are two rowboats here so we’ll have a chance to go.  I hope we have
nice weather the next two weeks.

Page 5.
After the kids went to bed, I showed Claude and Jo the pictures you sent me,
and then we played blackjack.  I lost eight cents, isn’t that awful?

I sure felt lonesome for you while we were sitting here talking tonight.  Just
didn’t seem right for you and Dick to be missing.

Billy looks the same as ever and has the cutest "baldy sour" haircut.  Norma
Jean looks the same, only taller and thinner, and wears glasses now.  Jo said
Norma Jean has almost no vision in one eye.  "Diedie" is as cute as ever
except that all her front teeth are missing.  Norma Jean is 10, Billy 9, and
Diedie 6 yrs old.  Johnny (the baby  -- 10 months old) is in Zionsville.  A
Mrs. Bailey is coming for him.  Jo says he’s the image of

Page six.
Claude and Billy.  Well, I guess that’s that in the way of news, it seems.
Maybe I can dig up some "dirt" in the next few days.

Well, honey, guess I’ll close now as everyone’s asleep except me.

I love you, honey, more and more.  So keep that chin up and perhaps we can
still enjoy being together before long.

Good night, Love and kisses,
Mom and Ronnie.

P.S.
Poor Ronnie.  He just kept falling down, getting his feet stepped on.  Caught
his finger in a door and what have you, already playing with his cousins.
He’ll be a wreck in two weeks.