27 Oct October 27, 1945

letter
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Compiege, France,
27th October 1945. 9.30 p.m. Saturday.
Noteworthy: Dad gets word he is being sent home.

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

There isn’t a thing new to write about tonight but guess I’d better let you
know I’m still alive and doing plenty of kicking without doing any good
apparently.

Saw a show downtown that I had seen a couple months ago in Paris.  There
was nothing else to do.  Besides, I didn’t know what the show was to be
until I had walked down there.

I’m now in the day room and I have just finished writing

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Norma, thanking her for the package and letting her in a little on my
present attitude towards life and the army in particular.  And it’s damn
little I think of the army now I can tell you that.

There is still no news from my application and I <? ws ful> leave for
La Harve.  That only gives me two more days and that’s running it pretty
close.  Once I leave here, <? sow> should the application be approved, it
will take some time for it to catch up with me so if nothing good happens
in the next two days, it looks very bad indeed.  The major told

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us today that we wouldn’t have a very good chance of getting home by
Christmas now, so that’s that.  There are one thousand and thirty seven men
here right now with morale exactly zero, which is apparently just as the
army wants.  At least they don’t make much effort to make us think any
different.

They tell us we are going to La Harve by train.  That means another 40
and eight ride.  I wonder how the good citizens back home would take it
if they witnessed a whole train load of men being

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shipped across the States in box cars in November without any heat just
like livestock.  Well, it’s happening now here yet every day and in about
two days I’ll be doing it myself, it looks like.

Well, guess I better quit with that, my dears.  Will probably add a line
or two to this before mailing it tomorrow.  Who knows, maybe the Sabbath
might bring a little good news for a change.

Good night now and all my love to you both,
Daddy

Sun. 10 p.m.
Have just finished packing and the good news is really good.  I leave for
home tomorrow morning.  This day is about the luckiest of my whole life.
I’ll see you about the time you get this letter.

How do you like that,
Daddy?