The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Order 9689, January 31, 1946.
The WAA disposed of surplus consumer, capital, and producer goods; industrial and maritime real property; and airports and aircraft located in the United States and its territories.
Hundreds of thousands of tons of surplus military equipment, from mess kits to tanks, airplanes, machine guns, artillery, and even warships, were offered for sale as scrap by the WAA.
[1] In addition, government-owned industrial plants, airfields, and other real property was sold or turned over.
Even patents, industrial processes, manufacturing techniques, and inventions were declared surplus and put up for sale.