26 Oct October 26, 1945

letter
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Compiegne, France,
26th October 1945,
10.30 p.m. Friday,

Dearest Alice and  Ronnie,

A letter from you and a card from Gallasini today.  This letter only took
six days getting here, and that’s the best for a lag time.  I’m glad to
hear you received the package with Ronnie’s boat.  How about the one with
the <? Herni’s>  helmet?  Have you received that one yet?

I sent your birthday and Christmas package today.  Just in case.
And from the latest dope we get around here, unless my furlough to the
States comes through, it’s beginning to look very much like I’ll never
make it by Christmas after all.

You see we received another blow today.  Right now there are about one
thousand 60 point men

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in the camp feeling pretty low.  Here is the latest, Tuesday, Oct. 30th
all 60 point men in this camp move to Camp Lucky Strike near La Harve
to act as unassigned cadre for at least one month.  Again some of that
damn <? uu> assigned business plus definitely putting an end to all hope
of leaving this God forsaken country sometime in November as we had hoped
might happen.  Someone is sure as hell to blame for all this mix up and
making us stay over here so long.  I would certainly like to get my hands
on that guilty party your Democrats and their efficient army.

We are restricted to the camp starting tomorrow until we leave Tuesday so
tonight, I went out

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and told Peter and family and the Guilbau family good bye.  They all wished
me well and really seemed sorry that I am leaving.  I promised to write to
them and told Peter and Etinette they would have to visit us in America.
Peter might make it someday at that.

Although it was about a three mile walk and that’s something new for me so
I’m ready to get hit the hay already.

Gene’s card also told about Jim Tostis working at Brant’s.  He’s starting
in at a poor time of the year since there’s usually very little business

 during November and December.  But he might get some good experience and
learn enough to really get

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going after the first of the year.  With such determination he might make
out all right at that.  I got a laugh out of Murrays advice.  He certainly
knows what is wrong with himself but doesn/t heed his own advice unless he
has changed since he used to work for me at Smith’s.

As you know now, I was in that Oct. shipment Jack mentioned but that unheard
of thing did happen and now it looks like a December shipment.  Unless of
course my luck really takes a drastic change for the better and somebody in
USFET headquarters in Germany signs that paper for me.  I also hope I hear
before I move out of here Tuesday otherwise it may mean more delay catching
up with me.

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Glad Ronnie liked the boat and you the other stuff.  None of it was so
expensive at least not in terms of money values over here.  It’s gotten so
money doesn’t mean much here any more.  Hope I don’t retain to much of that
attitude as I don’t imagine money will come so easy once I’m back home.

I just picked up sixty five dollars tonight while down town.  Got rid of a
few odds and ends.  Some cigarettes, chocolates, candy and so on.  I had
it all in one of your five pound cardboard boxes.  Sounds fantastic doesn’t
it?  True though.  Well I did carry some of the cigarettes in my jacket
pocket.

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That’s it now my dears’s.  I put the wrong APO on my last letter so use
this one until you get my next new address in a few days.  Once I start
moving again though, doubt if I’ll get much mail.

What ever happened to Dick?  Have only received the one letter from him
since he returned.  At the rate I’m going now he <? ts> beat me out of
the army yet.

All my love to you both,
Daddy