29 Sep September 29, 1945

letter
from: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
to: Mrs. Alice Shonkwiler
Compiegne, France
29 September 1945, 3:30 p.m.

Dearest Alice and Ronnie,

Saturday afternoon, No mail today and very little to do so there I sit
trying to think of something to write about.  It gets harder every day.
Again there is little or no news, except it’s now official that the depot
will start breaking up Oct. 20th and will be all gone by Nov. 15th.

It is being deactivated here so that means none of us go home as a unit.
Just what they are going to do with us until our turn comes to go home is
still very much in doubt.  All of us with 60 or more points have great
hopes of getting in shipping orders about that time but no doubt I’ll
have no such luck.  Instead will probably just loaf around doing nothing
for a few weeks.  The only consolation is it can’t be too long now.  My
guess, about two months until I start preparing to go home.  Just preparing
takes nearly a month it seems, so I’ve got to get started in November in
order to make it by Christmas.

Just a couple of us <? pan> the office here are going out for another
<? B.M.> meal tonight.  Tomorrow is an off day and Monday and Tuesday
expect

page 2
to go to Paris for a little relaxation.  And if I’m successful in the
little deal I have heard about[,] you will be receiving another money order
before too long.  I have though[t] right along that there would be a way
around this latest Army regulations.  Tuesday I’ll know for sure.

The weather has been very nice here today and it’s typical September
weather back home.  Nice and brisk in the morning and evening and warm
during the day.

I did very little yesterday and even less last night.  Went over to the
Red Cross and played a few games of ping pong.  Then back for a little
poker.  I wasn’t in a winning mood.  Lost about 300 franks so quit and
went to bed early for a change, 11.30 p.m.  Will probably see the show
downtown after our meal tonight.  So that will be the end of another
exciting day and that’s about it for right now.  Probably will add more
later.  Until then how’s my little boy Ronnie?  And is he going to be a
big man by the time Daddy gets there to bring him that Christmas tree?
<? Wes>

page three
Sunday, 4 p.m.
Well here it is another week nearer home and the rumors today are good but
still nothing too definite.  Besides it’s a beautiful day and all’s well.
I am writing this at our new Red Cross building.  Have just finished playing
about an hour of ping pong.  That’s pretty rough on an old man like me.
Guess I forgot to tell you, but a few days ago the German prisoners finally
finished building a new large one-story R. Cross building for us.  Now along
with the one we already had our recreational [f]acilities are greatly improved.
In the new building there is a very large writing room[,] a good sized ping
pong and game room[.]  There are five ping pong tables.  Those with a number
of others around town are now almost adequate.  Then there is a third room
used for just about everything.  In the old building now they have coffee,
cocoa and donuts with a lot of card tables.  It’s too bad they were so long
finishing this building.  Actually we are going to get less than one month
use out of it.  That seems to always be the Army system.  Get every thing

page 4
fixed up nice and then move out.

And that brings me once again to a bit of bad luck on my part.  There is now
a couple openings in HO Co for assignment.  Guess I could have one for the
asking.  However yesterday an order came out freezing all promotions. So
looks like even though I get assigned after all these months I’m still
destined to go home without a rating.  Once more a case of just too late

it seems.  Wonder if that kind of luck will ever end.

Well we had our black market meal last night and a very good one too.  Ride
out on a GI truck and back in a Jeep.  We had steak -- yes real steak -- a
little tough but that was nothing.  Some good peas and  onion soup, tomato
salad and fried potatoes with wine and bread and grapes for dessert.  Cost
two bars of soap for each.  Cost of soap nothing.  Great isn’t it?  Saw a
very good show afterwards.  James Cagney and Sylvia Sidney in some
Japanese picture [Blood in the Sun].  After the show[,] home and early to
bed where I stayed until 11 a.m. today.  In fact just got up in time to
rush over

page 5
for dinner.  Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, bread and butter coffee
and cherry pie.  Sounds good and was better than usual but still very GI.
And that brings me up to date with the exception I received three very nice
letters today which has also helped in making the day much brighter than usual.
I think tonight is going to drag a little because I saw the show last night.
Two of our remaining six boys in the room are in this day passes.  So
probably no poker as one of those remaining never plays.  The Jew.  He’s
afraid of losing a Frank or two.

So Al Evers thinks the Southern French girls are not as cooperative.  That’s
not the way I heard it.  He must be losing his technique.  Or was he
speaking from personal experience.  Personally I only know what
I’ve been told.  His 42 points does kind of put him in a bad spot doesn’t
it?  Perhaps a bit of combat will prove to be a means of me getting out
sooner anyhow.  If it does it certainly will be worth it.  Forrest also
writes that he only has 39 1/2 points which

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means he is due to stay in the Navy a while yet.  Maybe I did right  in
choosing the army at that.  By the way he said that they definitely would
not stay in California.  They don’t like it.  However, got a letter from
the Martinsons and they <? ravid> on and on about California.  Now I wonder
who is who or what is what.

Sounds like the Scholes wasted no time getting off to a vacation after
VJ Day.  The dental business must really be good.  Did they say what
happened to their two boys?  Believe at least one of them was drafted.

Well my dears, it will soon be chow time so guess I better finish this up
and be getting back.  Still plan on going to Paris the next two days.
Hope by the time I return there will be some definite news about what is
going to happen.  You tell Ronnie though, that Daddy’s pretty sure now
that he will be bringing him that Christmas tree after all.  And that
will be pretty darn nice, won’t it?

All my love to you both,
Daddy