15 Oct October 15, 1944

letter
from: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Oct. 15, 1944
Sun. 1:15 P.M.
England

Dear Alice and Ronnie:

Just received a package and a letter from guess who - Yes you. (3:30 P.M. after
a trip to the Red Cross.)  Now back to the mail.  The letter was a very old one
mailed Aug. 29th and written on a Sun. night while you were in Rockford.  The
package was the one with the long black tin full of Baby Ruths and something
else that was so spoiled I couldn’t tell what it was let alone eat it.  It also
spoiled a couple of the candy bars but the rest were O.K. for which I was very
thankful.  The packages of cheese and the cookies were O.K.  Cookies were
smashed a little but not all that bad.  So now you see from the four packages
so far received there has been only one spoiled article.

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Not bad I would say.  And it looks like you are batting about .999.  Thanks
very much and I hope I continue to receive them and all in such good condition.

[I] had planned on going into the nearby city with Rosen today then he got
called on detail so I didn’t go.  Went to church with Roth instead.  Roth is the
tall slim fellow you met at Blanding.  This was my first time at church here in
this camp and I believe will be my last as I wasn’t overly impressed with very
much of it. [They] Did have an electric organ that sounded pretty good.

Last night [I] attended a local show here in camp.  After about 20 minutes of
it the electricity went off so no more show.  So Rosen and I decided to go to
[the] local Red Cross where I indulged in some Cokes and donuts and attended a
local talent performance.  It was composed mainly of individual

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musical performances.  Some were really good, and I enjoyed it.  One of the
fellows back in my hut in Blanding sang a couple songs and he put them over
very well.  Really surprised me as he is one of the Jewish lads who did more
than his share of gold bricking and never impressed anyone very much.

Didn’t write you yesterday (or did I), can’t remember now.  Come to think of it
[I] believe I did write you a short letter.  Anyhow didn’t receive any mail
yesterday and there wasn’t much to write about.  Besides I got involved in
another little game of chance and I was doing my best to regain what had been
taken away from me the nite before.  I was pretty busy and pretty successful.
Now I am back to normal and suppose I should call it quits but suppose I won’t.
There is a game going on now that looks very

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inviting.  You see you come first so [I] guess you still rate pretty high.
This is not really a "duty" letter either.

The weather has turned out very nice today.  First really warm nice day for
two or three weeks.  One can hear and see considerable air activity the last
few days so that the boys over there must be getting some much-needed support.
I often wonder what those babies must look like to the boys in the foxholes
when they go over.  As you probably know by now I am going into my sixth week
in this, my fourth camp in England, which has really been a break I think.  One
that I hope will continue but is very uncertain especially right at the present.
I am looking for a change any day.  Well variety is the spice of life they say.
And from that standpoint, I am due for a change.

No doubt you have already sent

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them, but in case some of my letters have been lost or something will
ask again.  Have you sent me a box of those powders yet?  You know the ones I
was taking for my stomach?  If there aren’t any there in the linen closet you
can get them at Von Herman’s Pharmacy 110 So. Mich Ave.  Dr. John McNamara
wrote the prescription about 8 or 9 yrs ago.  I’m running very low on the
supply I have on hand and as long as I am forced to eat this GI food guess I
will have to take a powder once in a while.

Well my dears, enough for now.  How’s my little Ronnie today and I sure wish
I were there with you both - especially on such a nice day as this doing
something together.  A fellow certainly gets darn homesick walking down the
street over here and seeing the civilians out with their families and looking
very much as though there was no war or anything going

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on any place in the world.  If there weren’t so damn many soldiers around one
would wonder sometimes if there was a war going on.  Well it’s nice to think
that way today because at 5 A.M. tomorrow I <? damn> soon will wake up to
reality.  Ten weeks here hasn’t improved my impressions any either.

I’m really quitting now so bye bye to you both and I miss you very much.

All my love to you both,
Daddy