15 Nov November 15, 1944

Letter
from: Mrs. G. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
November 15, 1944
Wednesday 10:00 P.M.
Noteworthy: Nov. 29, Dad is still onboard ship.  Mom gets philosophical.

My Darling,

Well, this is my second letter today, and that’s something, isn’t it?  Somehow
I guess you must rate above everyone and everything!  Are you glad?  Of course,
I’ll have to say that there is someone who is getting all my lovin’ until you
get here to share it.  Guess who?  Jealous?  Well you should be ’cause he’s a
pretty handsome little guy! (Just like his Daddy!)  Did I have you worried for
a second?  Do you mind?  Guess I’m better off than you in that respect, having
someone to love both here and over there?  He’s my lifesaver, I guess!

Since I wrote you this morning, I spent the rest of the day with Elinor and
Dickey.  Of course Ronnie was along, too.  For lunch she had baked pheasant.
I’ve never tasted it before, and think I like chicken just as well, altho it
was good.  This

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afternoon before their nap, and also after their nap, Ronnie and Dickey got
along perfectly.  I had brought Ronnie’s trains and elephant along, and they
both shared their toys like gentlemen.  Dickey is about an inch taller than
Ronnie, but weighs only 32, and Ronnie weighs 31.  Of course Dickey is a day
younger.

After their nap we went to Bishop’s Cafeteria to eat and took the kids along.
This is the cafeteria where you and I ate, and they have wonderful food and
reasonable, as my meal was only 89 cents and consisted of Jell-O salad, beef
stew, mashed potatoes, coffee, milk, two rolls and jelly and two pats of butter,
baked squash, and two small dishes of peach ice cream.  Ronnie and I shared my
dinner except for milk and dessert and we both had plenty to eat for only 89
cents.  Everything was good.  While there I ran into my old boss that I had for
8 yrs. when I worked here and his wife and another fellow from our office and
wife.  [It] Was nice seeing

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them, and I was invited to come out to the plant and see all my former
co-workers, but doubt if I’ll get the chance.

Don’t remember if I told you that I rec’d 2 letters from you just before going
to Rockford.  They were dated Oct. 27th and 23rd.  The one dated the 29th was
while you were still on board ship near France.  You sounded so blue, that I
just sat down and cried, and re-read it today, and cried some more.  Guess I’m
an awful baby, huh?

If I could only do something to make things easier, honey, I certainly would,
but all I can do is wait, pray, hope, be desolate at times, try to be cheerful
at other times and try to keep my courage up as well as yours until you’re back
again.

I’ll bet sometimes you think this world is an unfair place, when I am here in
apparent comfort and you, because you’re a man have to have all the discomforts.
In a way, you’re perfectly right, but in ordinary times women

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bear the brunt of a lot of things, too and then they too, think the world’s
against them.  And sometimes I think that being there helping you finish the
job and enjoying your discomforts with you, or rather sharing them, would be
preferable to being home, wondering, waiting, worrying, and being alone as far

as having a close confident, no one to tell your troubles to, kiss your tears
away, etc.  Someday darling, I hope that things will be different, and God help
me if I don’t appreciate it then, as I think I will now.  Also hope that there
will be times when we can get away and just relax for weeks if we want to and
not have to worry about starving if we do take a vacation.  Oh!  Such is the
stuff dreams are made of.  Keep your fingers crossed and someday we’ll [be]
the happiest people alive and all our troubles will be -- "little ones?"

Goodnite, darling, sleep tight and I hope your dream of a warm welcome comes
true.  It will!

Love, always,
Mom and Ronnie

P.S.
Johnny wants a boy and Elinor’s holding out for a girl.  What do you bet?
I bet it’s a boy!  It’s due in February.  Elinor looks grand.