27 Oct October 27, 1944

Letter
from: Mrs. G. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
October 27, 1944, Friday 10:05 P.M.
Noteworthy: Mom receives a letter, finally, touching. Reports of solders with
their rear cut off.

Hye, Honey,

At long last (after 13 days lapse) I received three letters from you dated
Oct 6, 9, and 10th.  Oh, you don’t know how relieved I am!  First thing Elinor
came home today she said, "You’ve heard from Wes!"  I asked how she knew and
she said, "It’s the first time I’ve seen a big smile on your face for almost
two weeks!"  I didn’t realize I had looked that unhappy, but guess I couldn’t
help it.

I also got a long letter from my old girlfriend, from San Diego.  She’s the one
I told you about whose husband was a Lieutenant (J.G.) in the Navy at the time
you left.  She says he’s now a full-fledged Lieutenant and third in command of
his ship and is Gunney officer at the 11th Naval District and also the
athletic officer.  She says they are treated royally now and the

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Captain’s barge takes them out to the ship for dinner, movies, dances, etc.
He’s in port at San Diego now, but she doesn’t know for how long.  She sent me
his and her picture and also a photo of their 5 year-old son, who is mascot of
the ship’s ball team.

The Jap fleet seems to be going two pieces.  Sure would be funny if the Jap end
of the war would end before the German.  Altho of course there are thousands of
islands in the Pacific, and the Yanks have a long way to go.  But I just heard
over the air that the Philippine battles have caused the Jap fleet to be
reduced to half of its maximum strength and that it’s believed Japan may soon
sue for a easy place, but I hope they don’t get it.  They don’t deserve an easy
piece, and that’s for sure.  Elinor just told me that while she was home over
the week-end a friend of hers was on furlough from the Pacific area and he said
that he, himself had actually

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seen American dead soldiers with their "rear" cut off, that the Japs had
admitted eating the flesh because they were so poorly fed.  He says no one
believes it, but he swears it’s the God’s truth and that he had seen it and
that Jap prisoners had admitted it.  I can’t imagine anyone getting that hungry,
but I guess I’ve never had a chance to be that hungry, or ever want to be.

You requested Barbasol and Ipana toothpaste and aspirin in one of your letters,
so I’m sending it with some other things tomorrow or Monday.  One of your Xmas
pkgs contains the first 2 items, but I’ll send more anyway.  As for your
powders you should have received them as I sent some over a month ago, which
was the day after you first requested them.  I’ll get some more tho, just in
case they were lost on the way.  I sent them 1st class mail, so it’s funny you
didn’t get them.

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I’m glad you got to London, and your description of it was very interesting.
Only I wish you’d keep away from there if the bombs are still flying around.
Now I’m worried, again.

Dewey spoke at the stadium here Wednesday night.  Ben Campbell was about to
tune him in when I got up and left last Wednesday.  He says he’s coming over
before election and convert Elinor and me.  Elinor has already voted by
absentee ballot, so it’s too late in her case.

Roosevelt is speaking at Soldier’s Field tomorrow night.  Too bad I can’t go.
I hope to take in a movie with Elinor.  I called Virginia to take care of
Ronnie, and she said she would, but in an hour she called back and said her
grandfather was injured today and she and her folks are going out of town to
see him as he’s not expected to live.  Later Mrs. Page said she was going to be
home tomorrow night and said she’d look in

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on Ronnie if we wanted to go out, which is pretty nice and also saves me a
dollar.

If nothing happens between now and next month I hope to be able to put the
November allotment in the bank.  Won’t that be something?  Of course I’ll still
only be $30.00 ahead, as I got $50.00 for my typewriter and having spent it,
I’ve been trying to gain it back as I don’t feel I should be spending that
money, because I want another after the war.  I want to try to save a few
dollars now, so I won’t have to draw money out of our previous savings to pay
taxes, insurance, etc., next year.  I sincerely hope that after this war is
over, we’ll still have at least as much as we had before you left.  That in
itself will be an accomplishment, I think, as that will be a lot better or more
than most people will have when this is over.

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I was telling Ronnie the other day that pretty soon Daddy would be back and
would play with Ronnie.  Today, Ronnie was looking at your picture and said,
"Daddy be back after a while?" Pretty soon, Mommy?  I said "Yes, Ronnie, pretty
soon - I hope."  When Mrs. Dixon stopped in this afternoon he went to the
bedroom and got one of your pictures and said, "Mrs. Dixon Daddy be back after
awhile, pretty soon - I hope."  It sounded so funny, and yet I couldn’t help
but almost cry at the same time.

Tonight at the supper table I gave Ronnie some celery (with leaves and all).
He broke off the leafy part and laid it on my plate and said, "I don’t like the
tree, that’s no good."  Elinor and I just about choked laughing so hard.  He
really puts over some good ones, every once in a while.  It’s a shame you have
to miss all this, as he talks like a house

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afire now.

Speaking of fire, I had the scare of my life last Wednesday noon.  I took some
milk cartons and waste paper out by the alley on the edge of the empty lot next
to our house and lit it with a match.  It was a bit windy and the weeds very
dry and before I knew it the fire was spreading like mad.  Altho I had lit the
paper at least 20 ft away from the fence it was getting too close to the fence
and I was afraid it would burn, so I dragged the hose out and went to town on
it.  It finally died near the fence but spread so that about half of the vacant
lots are cleared of weeds and smoke galore.  I had the car parked in the drive
and had to move it, it was getting so close.  It finally died out, but I sure
was scared while it lasted.  I kept imagining it spreading to nearby houses and
the whole block aflame.  I don’t want to

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ever get that frightened again

Now that I got these three letters today perhaps I’ll sleep tonight.  Can’t
keep this insomnia up forever, or it will be tragic.

I ironed all day today and I am very tired.

Murray and Marge stopped in tonite for an hour.  Murray had a chance to manage
a news agency down in Asheville N.C., but at the time he didn’t think it was
such a big hot idea and the pay wasn’t too good.  This offer was made to him by

the circulation Mgr. of the Herald-American last Sat. night.  By Monday,
Murray decided he’d go down and take a look at it, but the job had already been
filled by a man from Pittsburgh.

Well, guess I’ll go to bed now, as it’s 11:30, and according to my husband I
should go to bed early.  Sweet dreams, darling, and Love and kisses,
Mom and Ronnie

P.S.
How many 5 lb. Pkgs. have you received by now.  I’m still waiting every night,
so it must be my letters are lost.