30 Jun June 30, 1945

letter
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
68th Station Hospital
Compiegne, France
30 June 1945
Saturday, 10:30 P.M.
Noteworthy: Dad complains about skin trouble and headaches; Dad decides not
to move to California.

My Dear Alice and Ronnie,

I left a very profitable poker game to write this letter, so now you know.
Of course I didn’t write last nite and I received two nice letters today, so
that sort of helped my will power along.  At that, I had to keep telling myself
for nearly an hour that I had letters to write before I finally left some
fifteen dollars richer than I was at seven P.M.  We have a bunch of new
patients and some of them like to play.  So as long as my luck continues I’m
doing alright financially.

Guess it’s a good thing I do alright somewhere, because I certainly don’t seem
to be accomplishing much otherwise.  Yesterday the doctor looked at me and said
to continue the penicillin spraying.  Today he didn’t even look.  I’m
practically as healed up now as I have been any time with in the last two years
but there still are some places yet that continue to break out about the time
some other spot heals up.  My head aches are about as usual.  So there you have
it.  Right now, my head is about to burst but the doctor

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doesn’t seem to be a bit worried about it and I’m getting accustomed to having
my head feel like it was being split wide open.

One of the boys from the office brought my mail up today and the news.  However
the news was very scarce.  He did say my work was piling up nicely and now I
know when I do get out of here I’ll have plenty to do.  With my Boss going home
and his replacement not knowing too much about it things are pretty bad.

Now there is another tough break for me. If I had been assigned to Head quarters
company instead of attached unassigned as I now am[,] I would automatically
have moved up into his job which has a T5 rating attached.  As it is I just
calmly sit back and let some private who doesn’t know a thing about the work[,]
but is a part of Hq Co.[,] take over.  Of course they call that army efficiency
or something.  I’ll be damned if I know what that something is though.

Well about this time I suppose you are all packed and ready to go on your

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vacation.  No doubt by the time you receive this letter you will have had your
vacation.  I hope it was a good one and you are both much better off for it.

I also received a nice long letter from Forrest today.  He seems to be getting
along all right but thinks there still is a possibility that he may have to
leave the the states.  <? Infatically> does not like California weather, nor
does Catherine.  Says it is damp, hot, and cold.  No place for either one of us
in our sinus troubles, I’m a-thinking.  And the same goes for Oregon from the
reports I hear about that state.  He sends me the first news I have heard about
Norma and her automobile accident.  Have you been keeping some thing from me?
Or have you heard?  He said she was hit by an automobile, but didn’t say much
about how serious it was.  Mentioned her being in a hospital.  Let’s have the
lowdown if you know anything.

We have been having a couple

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days of cool rainy weather here too the last few days.  I’ve decided in such
weather the hospital is definitely a good place to be in during such times.
Had certainly thought they would release me by this time but now I’m beginning
to wonder just how long I will be here.  Certainly a long time if he waits
until every last little bit of this infection clears up from past experience
with it.  We now have the ward full, guess sweating out this trip home or to
the CBI <? one>, is causing a lot of nervous disorders.  My case is very mild
now to some in here.  Of course I wasn’t so hot when I first came in either.

Now about the Chamberlin deal?  What are you going to do about that if anything?
It seems to me that his card certainly was an invitation for you to make a move.
Knowing you, that gasoline excuse you gave for not having been out there was a
bit lame.

Tell Mr. Dixon congratulations on his championship baseball team.  Now

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maybe he can make champions out of both Bobby and Ronnie[,] then we won’t have
to worry about their future career[s].

Forgot to tell you, I had another pleasant surprise today.  My CO. brought my
pay up to the hospital to me.  Now I thought that was real nice of him.  I don’t
exactly needed it lying in bed in a hospital[,] but it was a good gesture
nevertheless.  However they made a mistake and instead of the $21.00 I should
have gotten with my new PFC rating[,] I only received six dollars.  It seems
they had me charged up with an extra <? fund> allotment for some reason.  I said
nix on that.  But I don’t get the $15 until next month.  So there you don’t have
to worry about what I’m going to do with all my pay this month.

It seems I have now just about run out of all the up-to-date news plus it being
after 11 P.M. and after my usual bedtime, so, since

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I’m such a stickler for doing things as they should be done[,] this should just
about finish this letter up for tonight.  Besides this is the last sheet of
writing paper I have.  So that’s that.

How’s my little Ronnie these days?  I haven’t said much about you lately, have
I?  I miss you just the same and I can honestly say there is very little of the
time when I’m not thinking of both you and Mommy.  And just practically
waiting - and not so patient either - for that day when I can get home again.
When that will be the Lord only knows, I guess.  But I certainly hope it won’t
be too far away.  One’s patience can only stand so much especially when so many
more fortunate ones are leaving daily.  Be a good boy now and I hope you and
Mommy have a good time with Claude, Joe and their little boys and girls.  Now
this is really the the end.  Run over and give Mommy a big kiss for Daddy and
all my love to you both.

Daddy