The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ida Paxton. Paxton was raised in the Dust Bowl and educated in a one-room schoolhouse. When the war began, her mother sought permission of the ration board to acquire new shoes for the growing children in her family. Paxton left school in the ninth grade and worked at a drugstore soda fountain. At 17 she became engaged to a young soldier who was home on leave. She went with him to Oakland, where he was stationed, and got a job at the Emeryville Ordnance Depot. There she drove all sorts of Army vehicles, from DUKWs to half-tracks, taking them to their ports of embarkation. Soon after marrying, her husband deployed to the Pacific, corresponding in code so that Paxton could follow his wartime experiences. She also drove military vehicles in war bond rallies, V-J Day parades, and the celebration of General Wainwright's homecoming. Immediately after the surrender, her unit worked for 30 days straight, often until midnight, preparing vehicles for the occupation forces. Afterwards, she transported longshoremen from place to place, until her husband returned in November 1945.