25 Sep September 25, 1944

letter
from: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Sept. 25, 1944
Monday, 5:30 P.M.

Dear Alice and Ronnie,

Waiting for chow so will get this started and will finish later.  If this
writing looks a little shaky it’s because I’m shivering from freezing to death
- nearly.  It turned cold here yesterday and I’m telling you it’s pretty
miserable.  We’ve been out all day and not doing much but sitting around
consequently I got chilled clear through.  We have no fire in the hut so here I
sit shivering.

After being kept in Sat. nite for hut inspection[,] which they never made[,] I
got up Sunday and went to town with three of the boys from Blanding.  We
arrived there about 11:30.  Went to a hotel in town that we found out served
meals.  They didn’t open until 1 P.M., and since we were very hungry we went to
the Red Cross and had a very thin slice of roast beef,

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potatoes, beets, cabbage slaw, spinach, and some kind of apple cobbler that
wasn’t sweetened.  It was so lousy and so little of it that after we had
finished we decided to go to the hotel for something to eat.  So at 1 o’clock
we were first in line and had dinner in the Crown Hotel, a third-rate hotel in
the U.S. but here about the best in town.  Anyhow we had real silverware, linen
table cloth and a waitress to serve us.  There was no choice we sat down and
she brought us some good mushroom and beef soup.  Then we had a thin slice of
good roast lamb, potatoes and boiled cabbage served in dishes, coffee, and
apple pie - again with very little sugar in the apples.  It cost three shillings
and six pence 3/6 or 70 cents in our money.  The RC [Red Cross] dinner cost
25 cents so for 95 cents we had two dinners and were just

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comfortably filled.  It was worth seventy cents to eat in a halfway decent
place on a tablecloth with dishes and real silverware.  After we had eaten we
walked around for a while then went to the show.  Saw Janet Gaynor in "A Star
is Born."  Very old, but pretty good.  After the show [we] had some ham and
chips (french fried potatoes) and tea, watched the jitterbugs dance a while
and took a bus back to camp at 6:30 P.M.  A very quiet day indeed.

Received two letters yesterday neither one from you and none today.  One of the
letters was from Murray and the other one from Alfred Evers.  He finished
training Sept. 4th and was going back to Camp Grant.  [He] Said his wife had
visited him three weeks while in Georgia.  He expects to go overseas, but
doesn’t know when.

Murray’s letter was very interesting,

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but due to the way I am receiving what few letters I do get here[,] [I] already
know about most of the news he gave me.  Nevertheless [I] was very glad to hear
from him and you tell him [I] will try and answer at the first opportunity.  His
letter was mailed Aug. 26th.

I’m supposed to get those pictures I had taken last week.  Tonite [I] am going
up to [the] Red Cross for them right after I eat.  Of course will enclose one
if I get them.

9 p.m.
Just back from getting the pictures and listening to the news.  The news has
not been so good the last few days.  [It] Seems the airborne invasion in

Holland is running into trouble.  Although with all the reinforcements we see
going over every day since a week ago last Sun. I’m sure they will come out of
it in time.  The pictures are not too bad

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considering.  Am sending you two.  Thought I would send Norma, Dad, Gladys, and
Claude one each.  That takes care of all six of them.

Haven’t heard from Gladys about where Dick is.  Do you know?  Also have you
sent me those powders I asked about once before?  I’m getting very low and with
the chow we get now I have to take them quite often.  You remember if there are
none there Van Hermann’s Pharmacy[,] 110 So Michigan Ave has the prescription.
It’s 8 or 9 years old but I’m sure they still have a record of it.  If not Dr.
John McNamara 7505 Stacey Island Ave can give it to you.

Well, Ronnie, old boy how are you and Bobby getting along these days?  [I]
Suppose he is making a big football player out of you.  [I] Hope you are all
well and think of me once in a while.

All my love to you both,
Daddy