13 Mar March 13, 1944
Posted at 14:59h
in Letters
letter from: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler 3-13-44 7:15 P.M. Mon Notewothy: Dad plans out Mom’s trip to Florida April 26th.
Dear Alice and Ronnie,
Another week well underway and considering the day as a whole was not as bad with the exception of 20 minutes late this afternoon when we marched at the cadence of 140 steps per minute about two miles back to camp. In case you don’t know how fast that is, just try it sometime. I’m sure you won’t, so I’ll tell you, it’s just short of running. Ten years ago running two miles wouldn’t have bothered me much, but now is a different story. This morning we were examined for GI glasses and it took all morning. Some more army efficiency. However it suited us fine because about 20 of us got out of 4 hours of classes and drill and guerrilla exercises. This afternoon we marched out into the country two miles or more and practiced setting anti-tank traps and mines. They also exploded a number for our special benefit. One had an 8 1/2 lb charge of TNT. It rocked the earth. The weather has been very nice today after a very miserable weekend. I received three letters and one card today so tonite [I] feel pretty good. Oh yes
page 2 [I] received the shoe trees, leads and clothespins. Thanks very much. I got a letter from you-know-who, one from Norma, one from Betty in Indianapolis and a card from Forest. Now if every day would be like this one maybe armry life would not be so bad.
I forgot to tell you that Jack Waters the plumber that Oralee knows and whose name I put in the little name index for you will fix the sump pump in the basement if it still refuses to function properly. However before you call him try putting some Vaseline on that plunger rod all up and down it where it might rub against any part of the pump.
As for the reservations I have made for you, it is for April 26th, 27th, 28th and you must check in before 8 P.M. in the evening. I am off at 5:15 though unless we have detailed work so you might as well plan on getting here a little before that. You had better make train reservations right away. Get a round trip ticket with a bed for St. Augustine, Florida. That’s 37 miles East of Camp BLanding and you will come from there [to] here by bus right into the camp and only a block from the guesthouse.
page 3 I will go to St. Augustine some week-end and make reservations for us for Saturday nite. My plan is, you stay in camp here Wed, Thurs, and Friday. Then we can go to St. Augustine together over the week-end. Sunday evening you can leave for home from there and I will have to come back to camp by 11 P.M. Of course, if you can’t get an evening train, you will have to stay over until you can get a train. At the guest house here at camp I can stay with you at nite but have to report for revelry at 6:30 A.M. each morning. There is one double bed so Ronnie will have to sleep with us - not in the middle though. I will be able to eat dinner with you and spend the evening (I hope) but the rest of the day you will have to spend by yourself. The lake is real close and the beach is swell. There is an afternoon movie, and the service club right close by. Let me know right away if you are able to get R.R. tickets.
It took me from 10 A.M. Sunday until 5:15 P.M. yesterday to get a call through to you
page 4 but it was worth it. I had made up my mind that this time I would get through
to you come Hell or high water. However, Sunday is a very poor day to call from camp and [I] probably won’t try it again unless I get to Jacksonville or St. Augustine. They say one can get a call thru right away from either of those cities.
About <? Novak> and then [the] $10. Yes it is a commission I earned about two years ago and had almost given up ever getting it. I guess the man is honest afterall. I can always use it down here, especially if I start going any place. Fare to Jacksonville is $13 alone.
Like you, I think a private in the army will do Murray more good than getting a Com. [Commission] ever will. If he should get a Com. it will tend to make him all the more what he already is. A little of what I am going thru won’t hurt any one and will do plenty of us lots of good. Our Sargeant told us today when we finish this cycle and was [are] placed with an army we will get either Corporal or Sargeant ratings (technical). Hope he is right. I’d hate to think I would
page 5 wind up being a private. However that is definitely the way 90% of those now entering will finish. There just aren’t any openings it seems. Sons [some] of the officers in this Company are now being shipped out. An ex New York Yankee baseball pitcher - Dusty Rhodes has just been advanced from Private to Corporal to Sergeant since I have been here. He was in the last cycle. He is a very nice man but there is much talk of politics. There seems to be plenty of that in the army too.
Tomorrow and Wednesday we go out on rifle range and don’t finish until 10 P.M. So the letters from me the next two or three days will probably be kinda scarce. It’s beginning to look like two days out of each week they manage to work us all day and half the nite. Which really fixes us up for the week. We were issued another pair of the fatigues Saturday. They look just like the clothes I wore on the farm many years ago or just like prisoners. Neither one is very complimentary to the individual. They are comfortable though.
Norma said they are getting along O.K.
page 6 and she is back to normal again. The new baby is about it and they all keep her very busy. I can imagine.
Well Ronnie ole boy. How did you like talking to your Daddy yesterday. Hope you remember me a little bit. I have no doubt that Judy misses me a little bit. She seems to remember very well. Glad to hear you miss your Mommy when she leaves. Just don’t let her run away too often. But you let her out once in a while, I guess maybe.
Well Mommy and Ronnie dears, I have lots to do yet tonite and just a little time left to do it in so will have to close - probably for a day or two. No reason for you slowing up though.
Daddy
