28 May May 28, 1944

letter
from: Pvt George Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
5-28-44, Sunday, 5 p.m.
Noteworthy: Dad complains about the Army. Inquires about "Junior".

Dear Alice and Ronnie,

No letters for two days now.  You are really slipping.  I did get a little
package today noon though, so I guess I will write you anyhow.  I’ve been
eating popcorn ever since - even had a couple pieces of angel food cake.  Now
that’s right up my alley.  It wasn’t quite as good as the others [you’ve] sent
me but still very good.  I haven’t opened the other one yet.  About half the
fellows are out on pass so I am kinda holding back until they return.  The
package arrived in fairly good condition outside of that there is a trail of
popcorn all the way from here to Chicago.  Anyhow it’s all very good, and the
only thing that could have made it any better would have been a couple of
letters.

It appears now that I will definitely be home in a month.  The company just
finishing across the

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alley are all being shipped to Camp Mead Maryland.  They are keeping no one
here.  Always before they kept at least a few.  I guess big things are afoot.
They told us the other day that during the past four months there has been
18,000 men shipped from this camp - during the month of June, they are shipping
20,000 from here.  I guess that means everyone goes as soon as they finish
their basic.  They reclassified a number of men in our company yesterday.  Tony
Shute - you remember the fat man with five kids in our hut - was one of those
put in Class C.  Class C’s all stay here now as administrative cadre of some
form or other.  He has been pretty sick about it today because along with
having to stay in the hot hole[,] he doesn’t get a furlough.  And he hasn’t
even been out of camp on [a] pass since arriving in February.  There were five
or six others too.  There’s nothing wrong with Tony except he drinks too much
beer and can’t make the marches on account of his weight.  At that, he has lost
28 pounds since coming here.

I have had a very soft week-end.  Would have gone to Jacksonville except for

page three.
the fact that I am definitely broke - I even borrowed five dollars from one of
the boys so I could go to the shows and eat at Service Club last night.  Saw
a bad show besides witnessing a very disgusting incident caused by such army
inefficiency that’s beyond excuse.  Because some war hero named Kelly made a
personal experience at the theater it was one hour late for opening at regular
opening time 8:15 p.m.  There were about 1000 men with tickets waiting outside
the doors to get in all at once.  Instead of having some system about
controlling them[,] things ran wild for about 15 minutes.  They finally had to
call out [the] military police before order was restored and they could open
the doors to let us in without a dozen or so being trampled to death.  They
pound into our heads all week about doing things in a military manner and expect
us to do it and then because the army itself has no system at all about the
little things it nearly caused riots right

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in their own camps.  Certainly makes one feel it’s all for nothing at times
and when I see demonstrations like that I no longer wonder why it has taken
us so damn long to get anywhere fighting this war.  Well anyway I finally got
in the show and then wished I hadn’t.

This morning didn’t get up until 10 o’clock.  Layed around until noon - ate
then went to [the] show again this afternoon.  Right now, I am laying out in

the sun, getting a nice sunburn I am afraid, writing you.  Tonight one
of the fellows wants me to go to [the] USO show with him.  I am not very keen
on it but since I have never seen one [I] may go.

We finally got through last week.  It was a long week with very little chance
for much sleep.  We got up at 4:30 a.m. three times and once at 4:00 a.m.  The
other mornings regular 5:30.  That 4:30 stuff soon gets tiresome.  This week we
have three bad days[,] twice up at 3 a.m. and in at 12 p.m.  <?One> of

those days the other morning 4 a.m. and a 9 mile speed march which we are
required to make in two hours or less.  That is the day we are all waiting for
to be over.  Then two weeks bivouac and with [a] week for cleaning up and we
can kiss this place

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goodbye with a great deal of pleasure.  I wonder some time if June 24th will
ever come.  Also if the invasion and this war’s end will ever come.  By the way
I have a $5 bet on that the invasion will begin on or before June 15th.  Keep
your fingers crossed.

You asked about the new medicine - it has not helped.  In fact I am a little
worse.  Don’t know just how things are going to turn out in bivouac as they
claim you don’t take a bath for two weeks and never change clothes.  I know
that is going to be just about right for skin trouble.

So Ronnie thinks he is a man now and can choose and eat the food to his liking.
It’s alright for him to have a mind of his own but be sure you remember he is
far from being boss.  Even sounds like Judy might be having tendencies towards
leading a life of her own.  Maybe she has found a new friend.

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By the way, what’s the latest on the progress of Junior.  It must be time for
something happening.  And if it has happened[,] have you forgotten what you
were going to do to see what is wrong if anything.  You know a month isn’t very
long, it may be our last chance for a long time.  Some day, just in case I
might never come back, you might want some body, all our own to remind you of
me.  Now I know that isn’t the nicest thing to be talking about but one must
face facts occasionally.  And this is no game I am participating in.  If you
were to see some of the actual war films they have shown us you would realize
of the truth I am talking.

Well my dears, this sun is getting very very warm.  I either have to move or be
cooked alive.  So bye to both of you for now and please find out what’s wrong
with the other end of this letter writing business.

With lots of love,
Daddy