28 Jan January 28, 1945

letter
from: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
England
Jan. 28, 1945
Sun 3 P.M.
Noteworthy: E.W. Cauble’s enclosed V-mail confirms that Dad volunteered for
the Army.  According to the British, the winter of 1944/45 was the coldest
in the 70 years they have been keeping records.

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Took the afternoon off today to see a show and catch up with some
correspondence.  Just came back from seeing a crazy show, "Doughgirls," or
something like that.  Now for the correspondence.  Since I haven’t received any
mail since writing you last there isn’t anything new to write about.  My days
are still very much the same[:] up at 7 A.M. breakfast, plaster room, 8 A.M.
to 11:30.  Lunch at 12:00.  Back to the plaster room at 1 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Dinner at 5 P.M. then mail if there is any and after that I write a letter or
two, read a little, play cards, etc., until 10 P.M. then bed.  Sounds exciting
doesn’t it.  Now

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that I get plenty of food and plenty of sleep guess you think I should be
getting fat and healthy.  Well I should be at that but it doesn’t seem to be
working out that way.  I seem to have trouble sleeping at nites - but do get
enough, and now that I have had a chance to gain back what I lost in France and
Germany, my appetite has diminished a great deal.  So I am about at my usual
weight and far from fat.  Although I am getting very soft or have been that way
ever since being injured.

Still have no idea what’s going to happen to me or how soon.  I am taking sulfa
pills for my skin trouble and it is a little better.  They are not doing
anything about my stomack [stomach].  In fact [I] believe that doctor thinks
there isn’t

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anything wrong with my stomack [stomach].  At least he says nothing shows up in
the x-rays. All I know is that there is something wrong and it certainly hasn’t
gotten any better since coming to this ward.  Don’t know just what I can do
about it as complaining apparently does no good.  These army doctors seem to
have their own ideas about things and think that every G.I. in here only
complain or say they have some thing wrong to keep from going back to the front.
I’ll admit that may be true for some but I’ll be damned if it’s true of this
one.  I don’t want to go back to the front anymore than anyone else, but I
won’t try to goldbrick myself out of having to go back.  In fact this work I am

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doing in the plaster room is more or less voluntary.  I could just as easy
[easily] be loafing around the ward all day.  However, that would drive me
crazy.  As long as I have something to do time doesn’t drag too much and I
feel that I am still doing my share.  They need help so badly there that the
Sgt. said he had asked that I be transferred there permanently.  But it seems
it’s pretty hard putting thru a transfer like that.  So doubt if anything ever
comes of it.  It wouldn’t be such a bad deal though.  Oh well, who knows?
Maybe the wars end will solve all our problems.  With the Russians now less
than a 100 miles from Berlin it certainly looks good to me. Boy I’ll be

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one happy person, as will many others, when that grand day comes.  I had a
little cold yesterday and a very bad headache.  Also my nose bled about every
time I touched it.  Thought perhaps it was caused by my injury, but [the] Doctor
said it was from my cold and not to worry.  Well both my cold and the bleeding

is much better today.  So perhaps he was right.  I hope so.  I have enough
trouble now I think something else would be too much.

You are probably thinking by this time that I’m pretty sick and blue today.
Well I am pretty blue but guess, I’m really not so sick.  Like you I have to
get melancholy once in a while and sound off to some

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one.  And what is a good wife for if she isn’t to hear some of her husband’s
beefing once in a while.  Anyhow, I’m thru now even though I don’t feel any
better.

I am enclosing a rather nice letter I received from Mr. Cauble.  As you know I
always thought him a very nice gentleman and this letter made me feel pretty
good.  You know there were quite a few people who questioned my judgment and
thought I acted a little hasty in marrying you.  Time and you my dear, are
proving them all wrong.  Just keep up the good work.  As for Ronnie and I, well
we know they were wrong all the time.  I know you are doing a marvelous job and
I just hope that some

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day very soon now I’ll be able to return and we can take up where we left off.
In the meantime guess you will never know how thankful I am that you are so
good to Ronnie, treat him so well and love him like I know you do.

Since coming to this hospital I have received 26 airmail and I think 8 V-mail
letters.  Some of them you wrote way back in Sept.  The latest a V-mail written
Jan 8th.  A wide range but all very  much appreciated.  Can’t understand why I
haven’t received any more recent mail.  Your last letter was mailed Jan 1st.
and I’ve only had the one later V-mail.  Can it be that you are forgetting me?
Of course I know you aren’t but it would

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nice getting an up todate letter or two.

It’s still very cold here and the snow that fell three or four days ago is
still on the ground.  The temperature has been around or just below zero all
the time.  According to the British it’s their coldest winter in the 70 years
they have kept records.  I would get in on that.  At that it is nothing to what
I have seen in Chicago.

Well my dears this is a pretty long letter for not having anything to say.  I
don’t get this way very often.  In fact usually my spirits are pretty high so
don’t think too much of it.  And I hope you are both well and everything is O.K.

All my love to you both,
Daddy

Enclosure:

V-mail
from: E.W. Cauble [Ronnie’s maternal Grandfather?]
to: George Shonkwiler

Dear Wes,

We are all well and happy [in] Louisville.  Dad has had you in mind indeed very
often since you were called to service.  [I] understand you were a volunteer and
what a noble inspiration for a young man.

Was in Chicago in September met your new wife and your little Ronnie a very
sweet lad.  Stayed only three days.  Alice phoned for me one forenoon to come
over and play and Ronnie and I played in your backyard and my what a grand time

Ronnie and me playing in the sunshine - some boy.

Alice seems mighty nice and she and Ronnie seem attached to each other and what
a conciliation for us.  I know you’re overseas trip to foreign lands is quite an
experience for you and hope you like it but some of it might be "pretty tough"
as Army life must be.  I know you will "come through" O.K.  My foremost
incentive to go to Chicago was to see Ronnie.  Am hoping you are well and now
you [will] be safely returned to Chicago.

Yours with lots of love,
Dad