12 May May 12, 1945

letter
from: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Compiegne, France
Sat. 9 P.M.
12 May, 45.

Dear Alice and Ronnie:

Did pretty well this morning, five letters and three this afternoon.  Another
letter mailed May 5th, written May 3rd.  But that is still about the best I’ve
ever received and things are definitely getting better.  I received a V-mail
from Joan or from Edith and two of three pages of a V-mail from Tostis, the
first sheet is still coming.  One V-mail from you and two airmail.  All mailed
after April 21st.  The one from you mailed May 5th is the first I’ve received
direct to this address and now of course I expect to get them regularly along
with the rest of my packages.

Believe I have told you in a number of letters about the [former] prisoners I
have seen in Paris and a few right here in Compiegne who have been liberated
from the Germans and are home for the first time in many years.  When I was at
Dr. Poiri’s house last evening with Peter[,] his uncle who I told you about
once before was there with his family.  He was an officer in the French Army
and was

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captured by the Germans in 1940.  He has a very nice wife from Alsace and two
girls - 5 and 9.  He said the officers were treated pretty well but the others
very badly.  Even the officers got very little to eat.  He is quite poor and
looks much older than he is.  However he doesn’t look nearly as badly as those
I saw in Paris.  As you say I am very lucky not to have been captured.  With my
stomach I couldn’t have stood much of that.  However, I don’t think I was ever
in much danger of being captured.  Of course one never really knows how close
he does come to missing such things.

Jim Tostis’ letter was very nice.  He remarks about back home being the "home of
the brave and the land of the free."  Well he should be in the army if he
really wants to know what region in <? tation> is.  Naturally where one is a
civilian he expects certain freedoms from government control and the Lord only
knows how much I’m going to demand freedom from government control over the
private individual when I get home but I suppose as tough as it is a certain
amount of what they are doing is necessary.  I know you people are still far
better off than these

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people are in the countries I’ve been in since coming over here.  Heaven forbid
that the U.S. should ever come to such as this.  He also maintains the
possibility of the three of us - he, Murray and myself going into business
together when I return.  Could be and then again maybe not.  I’m not just sure
yet what will happen when I get back.  Anyhow after what we’ve been hearing the
last few days guess I won’t have to do any worrying along that line until Japan
is defeated. However that is just another reason why I had wanted you to get
the low down on Chamberlin if possible before I return.

I have definitely resigned myself for six months to a year more over here.
There’s always a bare chance of course that fortune may smile on me but right
now I see no indication of it.  You see this depot is going to handle men
coming back from the front on their way home and to the So Pacific and that
means only one thing as far as I can see.  And that is that it’s personal will
be here for some time.  I’m part of that personnel even though I am attached
unassigned and carried as <? excess> personnel.  I still have not entirely
given up hopes though and I’m

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always looking for my luck to hold.  It hasn’t treated me so badly so far.  has
it?  Except of course with a few exceptions.

One of your letters contained the letter from Catherine.  Rather nice letter I
thought.  Of course she wasn’t saying anything I wasn’t already very familiar
with.  It’s nice having other people agree with me though.  Your May 5th letter
contained the pictures and I thought they were very good, especially the two
colored ones.  Guess you needn’t ever worry about me straying a little over
here not when I have something like these pictures to tell me what I am waiting
for back home.  Even though it still may be a hell of a long time at least I am
pretty sure of making it now, some day.

[I’m] Certainly glad you got to take Ronnie to the circus.  Guess we must have
gone to circuses about the same time only some 4,000 miles apart.  I really
would have liked to have seen Ronnie. I can imagine how much enjoyment he must
have gotten out of going.  [I’m] Glad you received the money.  Sent you some
more in yesterday’s letter.  Let me know when you receive it.  [I] wouldn’t
worry too much about spending some of it.  That’s what money is for, you know.

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Hope I get those films soon.  And send me as many as you can.  It’s very
difficult to find any over here.

As for worrying about what I’ll be like when I get back, well only time will
tell.  Don’t imagine I’ve changed so very much.  Older, yes - definitely in
looks - actions, probably.  On the other hand after living through all this I
think I will appreciate some of the finer things of life a little more and that
should help.  I’m still pretty much my usual quiet moody type and I imagine
you will not be able to change that.  In fact would advise you not to try.  As
that’s part of me.  I’m too old to be made over now.  Glad to hear about your
nice dreams.  [I] Certainly hope that they come true and soon.

It’s very warm here tonight.  I’ve been sitting before our open French windows
without a shirt on writing this.  It’s now 10 P.M. and still quite light out.
[I] Saw a fair show this evening, Jimmy [Donald ?] O’Connor, Jack Oakie, and
some gal in the Maria han Family. [Bowery to Broadway ?] How is that Red Cross
deal coming, if at all?

All my love to you both forever,
Daddy