05 May May 5, 1945

Letter
from: Mrs. G. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
May 5, 1945
Sat. (well, maybe, it’s Sunday, 2:30 a.m.?)

Hello, honey,

We got in about 1:00, but since then we had some coffee and put our gowns and
robes on so we’d be nice and comfortable while writing our letters.  Elsie is
writing her Joe and me, well, guess you know who.

Spent this morning cleaning house and then met Elsie at the Northwestern Depot.
From there we had a chicken sandwich and coffee at the Michelob restaurant on
N. State S. (First chicken I’ve had in months)  After that we shopped around
till 5:45 when the stores closed.  Elsie bought a coral-colored linen suit,

a blouse, and slip.  I bought myself a pair

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of brown and white spectacular pumps.  I certainly needed a pair of shoes very
badly.  I didn’t have a shoe stamp, so Mr. Page gave me his.

We had dinner at Gimball’s on Randolph and boy, did we have a meal!  You
wouldn’t know there was rationing.  We had grilled flank steak (we each got 4
big slices, abouit 3x6") with mushrooms, potatoes (au gratin), a salad bowl,
shrimp cocktail, soup, rolls and butter, and chocolate sundae and coffee.  All
this for $1.95.  We also had a Manhattan with our dinner (50 cents extra, of
course).  We didn’t get a cooked vegetable, tho, outside of mushrooms, but we
didn’t even miss it, we had so much to eat.

After dinner we went to the Oriental and luckily didn’t have to

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wait for seats.
We saw [the movie] "Strange Illusion" with Sally Ayers and Warren Williams.
Very good and the stage show was grand.  After the show we stopped at the Black
Hawk for a drink and while there two very nice looking young men asked us if
we’d care to dance.  We said "No" like good little girls and went on home.  As
much as I love to dance it was tempting, but our good judgment said we’d better
not.  So, honey, guess you don’t have to worry too much about your girl. (Well,
just worry a little bit, if you must.)

All in all we had a very nice afternoon and evening.  Of course the main topic
of our conversation was our husbands.  Hers is in the Navy in the Philippines,

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and it may be a long time before she sees him again.  You see I hope you’ll be
home very soon!

Mrs. Page put Ronnie to bed tonight, and he was dead to the world when we got
home.

Elsie and I are going to bed, and at that I’ll have very little sleep as it’s
now 3:10, and I have to get up at 8:00 for Ronnie’s trip to Sunday school.

I got a nice 9 page letter today date[d] April 25th.  I’ll reply to it more in
detail tomorrow, as I’m too sleepy, now.  In the meantime just be a good boy
and keep thinking of us constantly.

All our love, always,
Mom and Ronnie.