08 Aug August 8, 1945

Letter (Hiroshima Day)
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
dated July and August 1945, Compaigne France,
Noteworthy: family gossip

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Will start this now and probably finish later on the morning. Work still continues to be very slow and we find it very hard to show any resemblance of working most of the day,  I have finally given up entirely for today. So has my pastor setting next to me. He is reading some hometown paper, probably a month or two old. I finished the stars and striped hours ago myself. If it was just the two of us that didn’t have much to do, it wouldn’t be so bad, but this is a large building we are in, two and one half floors used entirely for personal correspondence and a rough guess would estimate there to be about two hundred men working here. Every one is just like me looking for work at least six hours out of the eight, we are supposed to put in. Talk about hoarding labor man power or something. Boy, the army certainly has it here.

Received a letter from you today, mailed August 1st. So, I’m pretty well up today with your activities.  You mentioned the Hayes being over and how Earnest still is very much a hen pecked man, which is as it has been for years. Also, your personal reactions sympathizing with his position. Rather sounded like that might have been a shot in the dark at me. If so, guess you

page two.
should remember that famous phrase about all men being created equal. That includes women as well as men. A few special advantages another person may or may not have had over the other can always be overcome by diligence in the right direction. Of course, anyone like Forrest, who hasn’t the backbone to stand up once in a while for his own thoughts and actions usually doesn’t have much of a chance and will eventually end up being completely dominated by the other. I think you know of what I am talking.

Of course, we received the news today of the new atomic bombing on Japan. That is just another step closer to complete destruction that Japan is asking for and most certainly will receive. It does all seem very ridiculous, but I guess it is necessary. I certainly hate to think what another war would be to the world should there ever be one.  About time to quit now.

I think I’ll see the play "Arsenic and old Lace" this evening. Then will probably add some to the letter after the show. Until then, bye for now.

Wednesday 8am.
Will try and finish this before starting to work and before the mail goes out as I didn’t have a chance to last night. I went to the play "Arsenic

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and old Lace" with one of the boys in the room and young Peter and his little brother. It was very good. Peter liked it too.  They really got a kick out of it. It was quite long and then we stopped in at Peter’s house a few minutes afterwards so it was really bedtime when we got back to our room. I am enclosing the program that you might be interested.

There isn’t much more to report. The whole evening almost except for a half hour or so sweating out the ice cream line was spent at the theater so naturally I’m short on news. Guess the rumors are very quiet for a change.

It sounds like the Scholls are doing all right. I saw his small farm shortly after he purchased it some five or six years ago. Certainly wasn’t much there then.  Believe he is a good example of exactly the opposite from Ernest. The two women are alike in their strong desire to keep their husbands under their thumb all the time. The difference between the two men are that Chuck refuses to be overridden continuously while Ernest has completely given in years ago. It just happened that Chuck is smart enough, lucky enough or something to be a success in his work. He does work plenty hard. I know that. And since there is still a scarcity of dentists in the States, I suppose he can’t help but do all right.

Well my dears, I guess I better close this up and get to work. Don’t know just what
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I can do to make it last out the morning. But with my boss sitting just about eight feet away, it might be a good idea to show signs I’m doing something.

It’s quite chilly here again this morning. Just like early fall weather back home.  Could be Fall arrives early in France. I don’t know.

Bye now and all my love to you both
Daddy.