24 Apr April 24, 1945

letter
from: Private George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
24 April 1945, Tuesday 9:30 p.m. France
Noteworthy: Dad talks about being at the front; waxes philosophical

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Just back from seeing a very good show, "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" and
a long walk around town afterwards.  The walk plus a very restless night
last night, has made for me being pretty tired right now.  Some of the Joes
in this room never have enough sense to go to bed it seems, and at 1 a.m.
they were still going strong.  Sometimes I can go to sleep regardless but
last night was one of those times I couldn’t.  Hence, the restless night.
Guess I must have walked about six or seven miles today.  Since I’m not
exactly in the condition I used to be in, my dogs are sort of letting me
know right now that they have done a day’s work.

Still, no news about what’s going to happen to me, but I have a feeling
that it won’t be long now, so it’s not worrying me.  In fact, I’m getting
so I don’t worry about laying around, doing nothing any more anyhow. If
the army wants it that way, who am I to complain?  I certainly have never
had things any easier than they are right now.  It seems a big waste and
all that, but maybe if I were running the army, I’d find that it wasn’t
exactly a soft job that it looks to be from here.  Anyhow we seem to
finally be winning this war

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over here, in a grand style and since final results are what always count,
that is what we should judge things by in the long run.

Took a walk downtown this afternoon trying to buy film for the camera I
bought in Paris but film is almost as scarce as food is over here, and so
far as I have had no luck.  Did contact one fellow who thought he might do
me some good in a day or two, so we’ll see now what happens.  One can
certainly do an awful lot here with a package of cigarettes.

I’m enclosing a $50 money order and a copy of a <? Limey> paper.  Of course,
the Limies are usually pretty optimistic in their papers, but this one does
look good, doesn’t it?  Perhaps by the time this reaches you, this whole
thing will be over.  It will be hard to believe if it does happen I know that.

Still no mail or packages.  Think the last letter I received from you was
written around the 1st of March.  Wonder what all you and Ronnie have been
doing since then.  Wouldn’t take much to beat me, that’s for sure.
Have I ever told you that the chow here is usually pretty good.  We have
beef three or four times a week fried eggs for breakfast and once in a
while hotcakes and so on.  Undoubtedly the best since leaving the hospital.
Now that I look back I guess the best time I have had in the Army was last
January in the

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hospital back in England.  I was doing just enough work to
keep me occupied, getting good food, seeing a show once in a while and was
around a pretty good bunch of boys who had been through the mill and knew
what the score was.  There certainly is a lot of difference between combat
men and non-combat men.  Guess one actually has to be where the bullets are
flying around to really know what war is and what it means to still be alive.
I know my stay up there, even though it wasn’t very long, has left a deep
impression with me.  One that a lot of these boys around here who have never
been any further up there than this, don’t seem to have.

About time to go now.  See that picture "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" if you

get a chance. It made me pretty darn homesick.  And I thought of you and
Ronnie all the time while watching it.  Boy that’s going to be a grand day
when I <? am> back in Chicago again.  Don’t ever do anything to spoil that
day, my dear.  You can count on me remaining as I am and was when I left so
long ago.  Even time can’t change some things. Not if a person doesn’t want
it to bad enough. -- How are you tonight, my little Ronnie?  And do you
still remember your Daddy a little bit?  I’ll be home yet some of these
days, and we’ll make up for all we’ve missed yet.  You wait and see.

All my love to you and Mommy,
Daddy