02 Oct October 2, 1945

letter
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Compiegne, France
2 Oct. 45, 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Noteworthy: Dad talks about being G.I. Joe. Dad talks about Paris.
Enclosure: Purple Heart document
Enclosure: Rainbow Corner pass

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Here I am back from my successful trip to Paris as you, no doubt, have seen
for yourself already.  I have two of these money orders.  Will send them
in successive letters.  I was just in time.  I got these yesterday afternoon.
While I was there an order came stopping it.  But they finished the line and
that let me in.  So I was pretty lucky.  Although it did make me sick when I
saw the amounts of money those boys just back from Germany were sending home.
The boy ahead of me had money orders made out for $5,000.  I counted it
myself.  And  he was just one of many.  Now I believe all I have heard about
the black market in Germany.  It’s bad enough here in France.  But France is
nothing.  This fellow told me they were getting 20 and $30 for a package of
cigarettes.  We are lucky to get 20 for a carton and everything else was
selling in comparison.

Well, upon returning to Compiegne

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found there wasn’t much new in the way of rumors.  However, it still looks
very much like I may be on my way home sometime in November and that ain’t
bad.

After chow this morning went over to Peter’s house for a little while.  Got
to talking to a cousin of his who was very interested in America, politics
and many things I enjoy talking about.  He finally called a halt for the
evening but not before they insisted I come over for dinner tomorrow evening.
I am looking forward to it because these people speak English pretty well
and are definitely a much higher type French family than we usually meet
here in Compiegne.  Peter’s father is a doctor and very much interested in
political affairs both domestic and foreign.

Saw two very good shows in Paris, "G.I. Joe of Ernie Pyle" and Peggy Dunn
in "Junior Miss".  Junior Miss was a scream.  I haven’t laughed so much
since leaving home.  G.I. Joe came the nearest depicting actual war I have
ever seen.  However, don’t be misled should you see the picture.  Actual
fighting is worse, mainly in that more men are killed

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and wounded.  And our boys lived in foxholes a lot of the time, not in
caves and mud huts like they showed they had in Italy.  The rest was very
much exactly as I went thru.  If you see it, remember that I was a
replacement.  There are numerous remarks about replacement.  I looked and
felt just like that when I went up there and we went up in trucks just as
shown in the picture.  The one difference is instead of being strafed by
airplanes, we were shelled by German 88s.

This paper I am including I bought in Paris today.  I thought the editorial
was very good so I am passing it on to you.  It really puts it very nicely
and just about the stage world politics is in at the present time.  The
only thing he leaves out the French.  And that was probably justified
because France really is on the outside.  They are just trying to get in
the "clique" so far without much success.

Received no mail at all in the

page 4.
past two days.  You are definitely slipping or something.  Perhaps tomorrow
will be another day with a letter or two, I hope.  Right now it’s after
11 p.m. and I am getting just about tired enough for bed.

Oh yes, am sending my Paris pass.  Keep it for a souvenir.  You will notice
this time I stayed at the Paris [Rain]box Corner.  That is the center of all
G.I. activity in Paris and quite a nice hotel.  I had a nice room with one
other fellow on the top floor.  I could see all of Paris from my window.
The hotel is called Hotel de Paris and is one of the nicer ones in the city.

Notice the man spelled my name wrong on the money order.  However that was
merely an accident and not intentional.  All you have to do is cash it.

Now all my love to you both and keep hoping.  Your dreams should be
getting better every day.

Love, Daddy.