16 Apr April 16, 1945

v-mail
from: Pvt George Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
16 April 45-France.
Monday, 9:30 P.M.

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

It’s summer here.  I’ve been sitting here in front of an open window enjoying
the nice evening while reading some of your old letters.  Don’t get any fresh
ones so hard up on the old ones now and then.  It’s just now getting dark, i.e.
too dark to read but we have electricity here and there is a <? inking> or
writing lamp rigged up over this table which is a little crude but serves the
purpose very nicely.  Walked downtown this evening to see a show which I had
already seen twice before.  Since downtown is about one mile from here you can
see I’m pretty hard up for entertainment.  The show is that one about the
little girl finding the German police dog belonging to the army in an abandoned
well and how her nurse maid gave the dog back to the army.  And then she went
to Washington to try and get it back.  I can’t think of the name of the show
but it would be a nice one for Ronnie to see.

I went on a very interesting tour through Napoleon’s castle this afternoon.
The castle is about one half a mile from here.  Very large.  Started in the
16th century and finished in the 18th.  I sat at his desk, in his chair, and
was in his bedroom, dining room etc.  Didn’t make me feel a damn bit little.
For some reason the French think that man was next to God.  To me he was just
another Hitler.

Daddy,

Addendum

v-mail
from: Pvt George Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
16 April 1945, France.
Monday, 9:35 P.M.

page 2
Hello again,

As I was saying, about Napoleon’s castle, the trip was nice.  There were three
of us and we had a guide all to ourselves.  He charged us 20 francs apiece
(Forty cents).  [He] Showed us all the old carriages used by all the old kings
of France.  Also, Napoleon’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd armor used by Europe nations back
in the old days.  Some very famous paintings, statues, etc.  Personally I would
much rather have been taking a trip to the Field Museum [Chicago] with you and
Ronnie.

That’s about all I’ve done today except have some real steak for chow today
noon and two fried eggs for breakfast.  In some respects  this placce must be
like heaven.  It would be now that I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be here
only about a week.  [I] Did have a bad nite last nite though.  Woke up during
the nite with the GIs and have been going ever since.  Guess it was the steak
I ate, you suppose.  [I] Bought you a small gift so now when I can get your and
Ronnie’s wrapped will send them on their way.  Neither one is much but maybe
you will know I think of you once in a while any way.

All my love to you both,
Daddy