Primarily documents Elizabeth C. Hickcox's early life, her Standard Oil job, and her experiences at Hunter College and Anacostia Naval Station with the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II. Hickcox details living with her grandparents, who ran a boardinghouse; fears in 1941 that one of the boarders was a spy; working at a sewing factory in 1941; joining the service to get out of her war job at Standard Oil; and friendships with male employees of Standard Oil. " Topics related to the WAVES and World War II include accidents in cooks and bakers school; entertainment and social life at Hunter College; forming good friendships with her fellow WAVES; the layout of the WAVES barracks at Anacostia Naval Station; the lack of encouragement from servicemen and the lack of opportunities to move up in the ranks; and stories about her work as a cook. " Hickcox also discusses several personal matters, such as meeting and marrying Ray Hickcox; his work with radar during the war; their children; and her unfulfilled desire to become a home economics teacher or a dietitian.