31 May May 31, 1944

letter
from: Pvt George Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
5-31-44, Wednesday 10:15 p.m.
Noteworthy: more on the training at boot camp

Dear Alice and Ronnie,

We have just finished two very hard days.  Yesterday was a "bitch on wheels",
and I’m not kidding.  Today was almost as bad.  We got up yesterday at
3:30 a.m. - C rations all day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  We marched 8
miles out to range in 1 1/2 hrs. with full pack through sand.  That almost
killed us all.  Then we were on the move all day going through infiltration
course twice - close combat firing once and then the same march back. We got
in at midnite and in bed at 2 a.m.  Then up again at 5:30 a.m.  Classes in
[the] morning and an  8 hr command post exercise problem.  In the afternoon
eating cold C rations in the field.  We got in a few minutes ago a bunch of
very tired men.

Page 2.
Nothing hard now until Sat. then our speed march and we are ready for bivouac.
The infiltration course was pretty tough.  We crawled through sand 8 inches
deep in the blazing hot sun for 75 yds that was the longest 75 yds I have
ever traversed in my life.  We crawled toward the machine guns over sandbags
under barbed wire fence through trenches with bombs bursting all around us
and those damn bullets whizzing overhead.  Then we went through the same thing
after dark.  Then the only difference was we could see the bullets, as they
used tracer bullets.  When we finished, we had sticky, scratchy sand all over
us.  You can imagine how nice it felt with our clothes soaking wet from
perspiration.  Well, it’s over now, and we are very glad it’s over.  One man
passed out right after finishing the last time.  He was the only casualty.
Tonight most of the boys are staying up late cleaning their

page 3.
rifles as they have guard duty tomorrow nite and this is their last chance
to get them clean before going on duty.  I’ll be up next, either Sat. nite or
maybe Sun. nite.  Certainly hope I don’t get it Sat, as that will mean all day
Sunday too.

As for the package please send it sometime after June 4th and before about
the 12th.  What did you do Decorations Day?  The one I spent here I don’t think
I’ll ever forget.

Certainly hope you get the watch as I really miss it.  Citrenella is O.K. so is
the bottle.  We get back from Bivouac sometime Sat. June 17th.

So Ronnie likes his Daddy’s letters well enough to sleep with them.  Even you
don’t do that.  I guess he has you about sized up - calling you little Dickens.

page 4.
About the sore throat.  You had better get after that - now.  Too bad about
Eleanor.  But it’s the first time I ever had heard of tonsils growing back in
once they had been taken out.

Sounds like the new neighbors are really killers.  We certainly have some real
luck in drawing them as neighbors.  Well, when this war is over - maybe before
[-] will [we’ll] sell out to somebody with a dozen kids and then see how they
like that.  A $1,000 for 40-foot lot isn’t too bad.  It’s about $200 more than
I paid but that was 3 yrs ago.

Well, my dears, it is now after 11 p.m.  and I have had about 8 hrs sleep in
the last 48 so think I will close for one night.  I love you both very much
and hope to see you soon.

Love, Daddy