15 Aug August 15, 1945

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
t:o PFC George W. Shonkwiler
Aug. 15, 1945
Wed. 9:45 P.M.

Wes, Darling,

Today and tomorrow are legal holidays according to President Truman and all
post office and federal employees got the 2 days off and essential workers are
to be paid time and a half if on the job.

Believe it or not, Jim and Murray took the day off despite the fact they had
no official notice from Pullman concerning a holiday.

The Tosti’s spent the

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night here, but the Holmes when we called them at 8:00 A.M. decided they’d
rather sleep than have breakfast with us.

About noon the Tosti’s asked Ronnie and me to come over there for the rest of
the day. I didn’t have much of anything in the house to eat, so I consented.
Everyone was caught short on food because stores are closed today and tomorrow
and the end of the war was announced

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at 7:00 P.M. last night.

We didn’t have much at the Tosti’s either today, For dinner we had cheese,
boiled potatoes, canned meat spread, bread and apricots with cupcakes and tea,
for supper we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, deviled eggs, coffee and
cupcakes.  I’ll bet even you had better food than that today.

Ronnie and I got home tonight at 9:00 o’clock and we went to bed at once.  I
asked Jim if he had

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any post-war plans, but he said, "none whatever," other than getting moved into
their house in perhaps 3 weeks.

They said today that they aren’t paying any more for their new home than the
cottage they’re in sold for. (And it needs about $2,000 worth of repairs.)

I saw their new home today.  It’s all finished but the flooring and decorating.
All they can get is beech flooring.  Oak flooring won’t be available for

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several weeks, so they decided to settle for a beech.  They could have had odd
box ends of oak, but it would have had to be stained dark.

I called Francis Evers tonight, but she wasn’t at home.  I talked to her sister
and she told me Donnie had been ill Monday, and suffered from convulsions, and
a high temperature.  The doctor came out thinking it might be polio (as Donald
passed out cold) but instead he said it might

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have been the watermelon he’s eaten on Saturday.

I don’t feel so hot today myself after my two glasses of "Southern Comfort,"
hamburgers, wieners, coffee, etc.  we had last night, plus the indigestible
food I’ve had today.  Of course all this strain of the past few days "false
surrender reports," didn’t help my stomach either.  In fact I only weigh 105 lbs.

page 7 again.

Oh, for the day when you’re home working and taking off weight and when I can
have help with household duties so I can get nice and chubby. (Not the way
you’re thinking, either!!)  At least not till I can recuperate a bit.  One
announcer or commentator said a mouthful yesterday.  He said, everyone speaks
of the heroism and sacrifices of the soldiers,

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but very little is said of the "wives" who wait, worry and pray, plus carrying
a double burden of responsibility at home.  This is very true and as far as
I’m concerned I don’t expect to be lauded for it, but do hope that my husband
won’t complain of things I may have done wrong, or not done at all, as that
would hurt after waiting so long, and trying

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to do the right thing, if not always doing it perfectly.

For example there are weeds in our lawn regardless of how I try to dig them out;
woodwork paint is so worn from scrubbing it just doesn’t look clean anymore,
Ronnie probably says and does things you might not approve of, etc, etc.

I’m not worrying too much, however, as I know you realize it takes two to make
a home, and that it’s not

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a picnic doing everything alone, and therefore will overlook any discrepancies
you might find when coming home.  The main thing is that you will be home and
as far as possible the way you want it to be.  Ronnie and I may have changed a
bit.  I’ll probably look a few years older and Ronnie of course is a big boy,
but as Irene Sivertsen said, "He’s just as cute and sweet as he was a year ago."
Elmer very gallantly

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said he couldn’t see that I changed, except I was thinner.  That can easily be
remedied perhaps when you get home and do most my chores for me.

I just asked Ronnie if he wanted to tell Daddy anything.  He said "Tell Daddy
to bring me a horse."  "Also tell Daddy I want a Christmas tree and a train,
too."  "Tell him to ring the doorbell and I will tell him to come in and I
love him."

The above is quite mixed.

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up, but I hope his remark about the Christmas tree is prophetic, as it would
be wonderful to have you home by then, at least.

There’s one thing pretty certain and that is that you won’t go to the Pacific
anyway.  Am I right, or have you heard anything as yet?

Well, goodnight now and sweetest of dreams to you.

Will see you very soon, we hope.
Love always,
Mom and Ronnie