08 Feb February 8, 1945

Letter
from: Private George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler.
Feb. 8, 1945, Thursday, 7 p.m.
England
Noteworthy: evidently Dad was injured on Dec. 4th

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

No mail from you since Tuesday, but did get one from H. Jostes, Dad,
Tosties, and Martinson’s friend from California. No mail at all tonight.
I convinced it all comes over on boats now  and that’s why I get it in
bunches. Some of the follows here say that they don’t get any in a couple
weeks or so, then they get a big bunch, all except the V-MAILs. I think
some I get comes over on planes.

Today has been my second full day as a member of the 187th Hospital.
So far it’s not so bad. There is many other things I’d rather do but
then I’d rather be home too. But I can’t go. Heard a rumor today, which
if true, may not be so well for me as far as this job here is concerned.
However, there isn’t anything official yet so I’m not worrying too much.
I still hope the war will end so all my war worries will be over. It’s
beginning to look very promising and I believe this time it may be the
real thing.

I am still working as an extra

Page two.
ward boy.  The work isn’t hard but I’m on my feet a lot and since I’m not
at all used to being on my feet that is since last December 4th, I’m
finding it rather tiresome. Twelve hours is a pretty long time. I’ll get
toughened up in time though and this isn’t the first time I’ve had things
a little tough so guess I’ll weather this spell too.  The fellows here
continue to treat me very nice and they all seem to be nice. We have
three in the hut from Southern Indiana and one from N. West side of
Chicago. He was a butcher and still is over here.

Murray said in his letter that you and Mary had become quite a pair of
sewers, or gossipers. He thought probably it was the latter and I can
imagine.  Well, Ronnie, old boy, daddy’s sores are all well now. And he
is out of the hospital, but still in the hospital if you get what I mean.
Glad <? Mariel> got to visit you a few days and you got to go

Page three.
downtown. Guess it is a good thing for you to get out once in a while
with the right people, which of course I know are the only ones you go
out with.  Glad to hear Ronnie and Bobby still get along so well. How did
Bobby like my <? saten> line? I finished Ronnie’s birthday present last
night and will try to mail it tomorrow  if I can possibly find a box to
put it in.  Things like that are pretty hard to find here.  Had hoped I
would have something to send you too but still haven’t been off these
hospital grounds and you certainly can’t get anything here. Had a number
of small things I had been collecting up at the front, but as I told you
before, all my possessions were left behind  when I was injured, Guess
if I don’t go back, I will never get them now. Had one very nice German
pistol, I took off a prisoner that I really hated to leave behind. But
I’m not very anxious to go back there for it either.

Page four.
Did you ever get my purple heart?  I sent you over six weeks ago now.
You should certainly have it by this time. The letters from Norma and
Forest you enclosed were pretty nice.  I never received their package
but did get a letter the other day.  I certainly would like to see Norma’s

and Forest’s children.  It has been over three years now they will all
be so grown I won’t recognize them when we do get around to it. Ronnie,
too, if I don’t hurry.

 Well, my dears, that’s about all for this time. Keep your fingers crossed
if I can stay here it really is going to be a pretty good break. Living
conditions are better than they were at Blanding. So are the meals.
All my love to you both always and happy birthday my little Ronnie.

Give him three little pats for me and a couple extra to bring me home
soon.

Daddy.