02 Jun June 2, 1944

letter
from: Pvt George Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
June 2, 1944
9:15, Fri. P.M.
Noteworthy: more talk about Junior.

Dear Alice and Ronnie:

I am stealing a few minutes from <? B1>  party to send you thanks for the two
nice letters I received today.  Especially the one with the $10.  I really
didn’t need it as we got paid Wed, you know.  Will keep it and let it go on
ticket home - I hope.

This week is about over and I for one am very glad.  It has been plenty rugged.
If tomorrow were over, I would feel much better though.  Our CO says we will
all make the 9 mile speed march and if anyone drops out we will have another
one on the way out to Bivouac Monday morning.  That we definitely do not want.

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I haven’t heard anything about Dick.  However I know it is very easy to get
gassed when you go through that gas chamber.  Just be a little bit careless or
be slow in getting that mask on and it is too bad.  Certainly hope he didn’t
get a whiff of one of the deadly gases as it could be very serious.  Let me
know the particulars if you hear any more.

As for Edith, I suppose you will have to go over there once in a while -
especially while Betty is there.  How does Betty seem to you by now?  Too bad
about Elinor - guess she needs a little better care than she has been getting
or something.  Could be of course that she might be working too hard.  Just see
that that doesn’t happen to you.

Sounds like that damn Fern is still as crazy as ever and now even Jack is
getting that way or maybe he is just doing as you

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suggested getting all he wants for nothing.  Which is a typical Jew trick at
that.  To my opinion they both deserve to get burnt.  As for you getting that
way - well ---

Received a nice long letter from Vita Campbell yesterday.  Sounds like she has
been pretty busy cleaning house <? its> too.

As for Junior - you say it was only 27 days since you left.  Well it seems like
at least 22 weeks to me - at least 28 days.  Well it’s been 28 days now - so --

Tomorrow afternoon (Sat.) and Sunday we prepare to go on Bivouac.  We leave
early Monday morning.  Don’t know all we have to do to get ready yet but they
say it’s quite a job.  Anyhow the big day is here and

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in a little over two weeks now we definitely will be able to say when we get
home and so on.  It certainly will be a pleasure just to get away from this heat
if nothing else.  Suppose I will get in Chicago just in time to get in on the
hottest part of the year there.  If I do that will be something I am used to
anyway.

So Ronnie, you are tanned just like your Daddy.  Are you?   Well you have to be
pretty tanned to be as black as I am in spots.  Certainly glad you haven’t got
Elinor’s cold.  You tell her not to give it to you.

[I] am inclosing a little news item in local camp paper about our Bivouac next

week.  Sounds rough doesn’t it?  Well it probably won’t be too bad.

With lots of love to you both,
Daddy

Addendum: newspaper clipping; headline -

10,000 Men In Bivouac Area Next Week
Ten Battalions In Woods Will Set New Record.
(See the photo.)