This Civilian Defense Council driver identification card, issued to Edward P. McAleer through Kern County Union High School, illustrates the extensive home-front organization that supported American communities during World War II. Local Civilian Defense Councils recruited and credentialed volunteer drivers, wardens, and other personnel to respond to air raid drills, emergencies, and other wartime contingencies, and cards like this one, complete with a fingerprint for positive identification, formalized these volunteer roles within the broader national defense effort. Project: 218157