22 Feb February 22, 1944

letter
from: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Camp Blanding, Fla
2-22-44, 6:30 P
Now 8:30 P.M.
Noteworthy: Dad’s first day in boot camp, Dad gets his Army assignment

  (Messenger Center Divison)
Dear Alice and Ronnie,

Just as I started this letter at 6:30 we were moved again - Being moved is
something we already have had plenty of.  We arrived here in this camp at 7:30
A.M. after being on that damn train three full nights and two full days without
ever being allowed off or not knowing for sure where we were going until
yesterday.  Of course, we had a good idea we were coming to Florida

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after we left Tenn.  The train ride was not too bad.  I played blackjack most of
the time - am about $1 50 ahead at present.

Camp Blanding has about 40,000 men here and is located 42 miles S.W. of
Jacksonville, Florida on Kingsley Lake.  It is warm here about 80 degrees today.
After we arrived this morning, we had breakfast, received our baggage, and then
went through the Classification Center again.  This afternoon we had a nice
cpl [chaplain?] talk to us getting us initiated to the way they do things in the
Army.  After supper or chow as they call all meals in the Army, I took a shower,
marked my clothes and was starting to write you when we were routed again and
assigned to our permanent regiment where we now are.  I am definitely going to be
in the Messenger Center Division, which, we are being told by the fellows just
finishing, is the best and the easiest division in the infantry.  We stay
immediately behind the lines and receive messages and then send them out again.
We do no actual fighting.  We have to

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learn a little about radio, telegraphy, telephone etc.  So far it sounds pretty
good to me.  We only have 6 weeks basic training and go to school here 11 weeks
more[,] 17 weeks in all[,] then we will get a furlough and probably be shipped
some place else for further schooling - at least that is what the boys here who
are just leaving are getting.  They are going to some camp in California. Anyhow,
if I had stayed in the rifle Div of Infantry I would have had 17 wks basic and
plenty of marching.

So far we have had things

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pretty nice - plenty to eat - not too bad - my stomach is about the same and so
is the itch.  I do have a bad head cold, as everyone else has here and they say
we will have plenty of them because it is so damp.  So please send me that white
thing in my top dresser drawer that I used to put up my nose right away.

We have 14 boys in this barracks and they range from 18 to 38 in age.  However,
most of us are 30 or over and married with children.  Haven’t had a chance to get
acquainted yet

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but they seem pretty nice.

I could sure use a radio here.  See if you can get that small one that i had,
<? afuad> together and send it down will you.

I mailed you a card and two letters on the train - Did you get them?  I handed
them to some kids along the road.

How is everything at home and Ronnie are you being a good boy?  Do you miss your
Daddy?

Must close now - lights out in 15 minutes.  And I want to mail this tonight yet.

Give Ronnie a big kiss for me Mommy and Ronnie you give Mommy one for me too and
you can write me at this address now.

Daddy