26 Jan January 26, 1945

letter
from: Pvt George Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
England
Jan. 26, 1945
Fri. 6 P.M.
Noteworthy: Dad talks seriously, expresses judgements about Mom working and
about selling the house and about returning home.

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Got a mess of mail again tonite and about a half dozen letters last nite.  They
seem to be catching up with me now for sure.  Eight of them wore yours, one
dated Sept, five Oct, and two in Nov.  Also heard from Ray Hines, Mr Cauble,
and four Oct. V-mails from you.  All very old as you see, a very good reading
nevertheless.  And slowly I am able to put together all the pieces until I now
have you almost 100% up to about Jan. 1st.  It’s funny but I’ve only received a
few recent letters.  Guess mail service is still pretty slow to UK.  I wrote
Dick a letter [in] care

page 2
of [the] 9th Army.  I still don’t know his address as no one seems to remember
to send it to me.  You happen to mention in one of your letters that he is in
the 9th Army.

No more packages except the one with powders, the photograph, and stationery.
Boy if I ever get all the things you say you have sent me I really will be rich
in provisions of sorts.

Receive a card from Reader’s Digest saying that Tostis had sent me a year’s
subscription, which I appreciate very much, even though I still have to receive
any of the copies.  Guess that is going to be like the Tribune.

Was sorry to learn that you had such a bad cold for so long last fall.  No
doubt

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you must be fully recovered by this time.  Anyhow your and Ronnie’s picture
certainly look like you are both very well.  Learned the picture was taken
around the last of Oct. about the time I was crossing the channel on a limy
boat - a rough crossing it was, too as I remember now.  The crossing back only
took a couple hours though and was quite smooth.  That was made in a good ole
U.S.  C-47, which probably accounts for the fast smooth crossing.

It is colder than hell here today.  According to the limy papers 34 degrees,
<? df frost> or 2 below zero in our language.  And that’s damn cold - under the
conditions.  We had the stove

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in the tent where I work red hot all day and then it was none too hot.  Of
course about all I wear is a pair of fatigues over a pair of pajamas.  Also
have some limey underwear but that’s practically all cotton.

Oh yes, I received a letter from Mr. Chamberlin.  He said business had been
about the same as last year but had been very hard on him as he could not get
any help in either the office or in his home and his wife had not been at all
well.  He said he was very sorry you had not come out to help him, even a few
hours a day, as he was sure you would have been of great help and he was sure
you could have picked up some

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easy sales.  I think you could have myself and without much effort have made
far more than you did taking care of Elinor besides getting some very valuable

experience and information at the same time.  Selling must be easy now for him
to do that much business and take care of all the other things he says he has
been doing during the past year.  You see I am not at all in favor of you going
back to work at a regular job but something like that where you could keep
Ronnie with you much of the time and work only as much as you had time for
would be quite different.  You might even find out why it will be impossible

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for me to be coming home some days right at the stroke of the hour when I have
a big deal pending.  Well, it’s just a thought.  One thing you must keep
formost in your mind at all times is Ronnie’s good welfare.  I wouldn’t want
anything you do or what I would like to have you do interfere with that.  He is
a far more important to me and you too I think than a business <? ninuy> or
anything else for that matter.  I am also not anxious to sell the house.  As
long as we have that I feel more like I have someplace stable to come home to.
Well guess these and your present money problems you will have to solve
yourself as there isn’t much I can do

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when I am over 4,000 miles away.  As much as I would like to help I can’t in my
present position.  You have done so well so far I know you can carry on a
little while longer.  This war surely will be over before many more months.  Of
course then, if I am still alive, it will probably be months before I am sent
home.  Not any too rosy a picture, but there are many more just like us or in
far worse situations.  So my dear, do the best you can for Ronnie and yourself
and I guess things will all turn out right in the end.

There is nothing new that I know about concerning my status.  I put in most of
my time sleeping, eating, writing letters and rolling bandages.

All my love to you both,
Daddy