05 Oct October 5, 1945

letter
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Compiegne, France
5 Oct 1945, 9:30 a.m.
Noteworthy: Dad’s post war plans

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Since I have nothing to do in the line of work this morning, guess I’ll get
started on this letter as I missed last night.  Saw Margaret O’Brien in
"Our Vines have Tender Grapes", an excellent picture, last night.  Afterwards
stopped at the ARC to listen to the baseball game.  Second game and the Cubs
lost and I lost 250 francs.  After that made a nice comeback at poker, so
still am in a very good financial position.  Guess it sounds like to you about
all we do is see shows, play poker, and so on.  You guessed it.  That’s about
all we do do.  At that it gets mighty damn tiresome.

2 PM
Well time has passed since starting this.  Was interrupted this morning by
one of our little inter office within the office baseball game, then the
Stars and Stripes, and then lo and behold two letters.  The first this week.
By that time it was lunch and now here I am back doing nothing in the line of
war work.

Your letters were dated September 27th and 29th.  One told about your trip to
Glen Ellyn.  So far I have received no word from Chamberlin or the Red Cross.
However, if present information is correct, don’t believe I will try to use
it anyhow as it still looks now like I may be leaving here for good sometime
in November. And any kind of

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an application would take much longer there that I think will keep everything
when and if I get it just in case the need should arise to use it.  Sorry you
had such a rough trip out there, but the main thing was that you did make it
safely.  Your other letter had Ronnie’s snaps.  He looks bigger and older than
ever in them.  Thanks very much.  Without the pictures, I’m sure I wouldn’t
know him when I do get home.

I am in enclosing this German patch some Frenchman gave me also another money
order for 100 dollars. This is the second one I’ve sent you in the last three
days.  I forgot to put one in my last letter as I had promised to do. I have
one more for $60.  Will try to enclose that in my next letter.  This money
should take care of all your current expenses and some left over for that
bank account you were talking about. Guess we will just about need all we
can get if I do get back home in December.  That’s a very bad time to start
making any money in real estate

Really sounds like the building boom is already getting a fast start.  Boy,
I’m sure itching to get back there and see what a real job is like again.
Are those homes being built around us nice ones or just homes?  I’ve been
having a lot of ideas come to me in my periods of

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thinking over here about our post war plans.  Sometimes I wonder if I’m any
nearer to a solution.  Right now I have a wild idea I’ve been toying with but
it’s merely an idea so far.  This is it.  Since Dick wrote asking to go in
with me and I’ve always had the feeling that Murray is waiting for me to
come back as he can go in with me too, I’m in a quandry.  So I’ve  figured
it out this way.  Go to Glen Ellyn and take Dick with me out there.  Then go
in business in Roseland where I did have some kind of a reputation already
built up and know quite a few people.  Take Murray in with me there.  If they
both should work out, eventually Dick would run Glen Ellyn and Murray would

run the office in Roseland.  I would run in between the two just kinda keeping
tab of them both.  And then there is Eggie too.  Have sorta of a hunch he
wants to come back to Chicago and we have always had more or less some sort
of agreement. Now if we could set up a spot for him too that should just about
take up all my time watching over the three.  And should they all prove
successful

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would be a "Castles in the Air" dream come true. Pretty wild, isn’t it?

Maybe you’d rather I just come back and be a little fellow for the rest of
my life, maybe making a comfortable living, and being like the other
millions of average citizens.  I suppose in the end we’ll be lucky if I end
up being just that but anyhow I can dream and that’s part of what I’m
dreaming about at the present time.

By the way, haven’t heard from Murray for a couple weeks now and you haven’t.
mentioned them.  What’s up?  Anything?

After your big build up over the garage bill, I was very pleasantly let down
over that price.  I couldn’t possibly see how it could have run as high as
you had mentioned, but then, how did I know how bad the fenders were?

As for changing francs into American money, I believe I told you once before
that it is impossible.  We are not even allowed to have American money.  We
will only get some when we get on board that ship headed for New York.  Why
do you suppose I asked you to send me American money if I could get it here?

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The French still pay 2 for 1 for our money if and when we are ever able to get
ahold of any.  And that is only when someone sends or brings it directly from
the States.

Guess my letters lately have been a little short maybe.  But at that I know
I’m doing far better than most men over here.  When one lives the same way
over and over day in and day out and continually sees the same faces around,
there really isn’t too much  new to write about.  And these last few weeks
especially have been and will be very trying.  Every day now seems like at
least a week.  However this letter should make up a little for the others
and just remember my dear it isn’t a lack of interest back home but the lack
of interest in everything here that makes letter writing so difficult.

As for me taking the bedroom alone when I return, guess I’ll be able to
straighten Ronnie out on that score "tuit sweet", which in French is right now.
Now all my love to you both and I will be seeing you some of these weeks
not so very far off maybe.

Daddy