The Farragut Naval Training Station, located near Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, was only operational between 1942 and 1946, but during that time it was the largest city in Idaho, the largest business in Idaho, and the second-largest U.S. naval training station. Named for Civil War hero Adm. David G. Farragut, it trained sailors from 23 different states and by June 15, 1946, the day its doors closed, a total of 293,381 recruits, or "boots," and over 25,943 service-school sailors had passed through its doors. At least two Medal of Honor recipients and one Navy Cross recipient, along with a future governor of Idaho, spent time at the station. After its decommissioning, it served as the Farragut College and Technical Institute. Today it is the site of Farragut State Park and a small U.S. Navy acoustic research detachment.

The Farragut Naval Training Station, located near Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, was only operational between 1942 and 1946, but during that time it was the largest city in Idaho, the largest business in Idaho, and the second-largest U.S. naval training station. Named for Civil War hero Adm. David G. Farragut, it trained sailors from 23 different states and by June 15, 1946, the day its doors closed, a total of 293,381 recruits, or "boots," and over 25,943 service-school sailors had passed through its doors. At least two Medal of Honor recipients and one Navy Cross recipient, along with a future governor of Idaho, spent time at the station. After its decommissioning, it served as the Farragut College and Technical Institute. Today it is the site of Farragut State Park and a small U.S. Navy acoustic research detachment.

Although far from the front lines of war, the people of Idaho contributed to the US effort in World War II in myriad ways. Entrepreneurs perfected the dehydration of potatoes and onions that became staples of the rations that sustained Allied troops stationed around the globe. Idahoans mined rare metals and manufactured them into weapons and munitions that allowed US forces to compete with the technologies of their opponents. Local communities organized USO huts that provided coffee, cookies, and warm smiles to homesick troops in transit to and from the war. However, World War II also left an indelible mark on the state of Idaho. On the one hand, the federal government's ambitious construction of airports, buildings, and roads to support the war effort transformed a rural state that had lacked infrastructure. On the other hand, Idaho soil housed detention camps where American citizens were denied fundamental rights. And loss and heartbreak impacted nearly every community.