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Posted: 9/3/2015 9:24:56 AM EDT
What does GAAM stand for?  I'm restoring my house and found this label on a board that looks like it used to be part of a crate and I was curious what I could find out about it.  Also is the 214 a ship hull number?

Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:36:22 AM EDT
[#1]
Well, some google searching found this page.
http://bluejacket.com/usn-usmc_ww2_location-codes.html


Locations appeared as postal code abbreviations during World War II in order to keep unit locations classified.

Example:
BM3/c John Paul Jones USNR
NavAdvBase 131
FPO SF

Jones is located at the Naval Advanced Base at Noumea, New Caledonia.
The Fleet Post Office (FPO) for the Pacific region is located in San Francisco, California.
The Fleet Post Office (FPO) for the Atlantic region  is located in New York, New York.
...
214               NY                 Port Lyautey, French Morocco, Africa
...
View Quote

ETA: Guessing the number would shift around over time, but that might be a hint for the format. Unsure how relevant it is to that particular artifact.

Another possible resource:
http://www.militaryphs.org/publications.html


Still don't know what "GAAM" is.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 10:09:18 AM EDT
[#2]
Interesting, I don't know the navy used location codes for bases and didn't think to search for that.  I can't find any reference to GAAM either.  The only thing I can think of is it's some kind of unit abbreviation.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 10:20:53 AM EDT
[#3]
Great
Another
Asshole
Marine



Link Posted: 9/3/2015 10:21:44 AM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Interesting, I don't know the navy used location codes for bases and didn't think to search for that.  I can't find any reference to GAAM either.  The only thing I can think of is it's some kind of unit abbreviation.
View Quote

I'm not yet sure if the location codes bit pertains to your artifact, and my search for "GAAM" has still borne no fruit.

But - turns out the Naval History and Heritage Command has a public inquiries line, so I called and asked about it.
Should have more data soon, seems they have a process for answering questions like this.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 6:39:30 PM EDT
[#5]
Bump to see if anyone else knows about it.  Now half of my google searches bring me back to this thread.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 6:43:06 PM EDT
[#6]
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:00:05 PM EDT
[#7]
Government Accounting and Auditing Manual is a guess
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:08:26 PM EDT
[#8]
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?

Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:11:47 PM EDT
[#9]
It is an Island in the pacific.  After the US took it from the Japanese. there were so many Marines there that is flipped over.  The bottom of GAAM was called Guam.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:13:54 PM EDT
[#10]
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:22:08 PM EDT
[#11]
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:26:00 PM EDT
[#12]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?

View Quote

Just because you use a Navy address for mail doesn't necessarily mean you're "in the Navy".
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:38:16 PM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.
View Quote

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:51:48 PM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?

View Quote


Maybe some kind of coastal artillery thing?
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 7:57:00 PM EDT
[#15]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm



Nice find!
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 8:03:01 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.
View Quote


The name doesn't fit anything I know about the house and I think the crate may have been addressed to a house two streets over (there was a separate board near by with an address on it) which didn't have any online records with that name.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 8:04:02 PM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Maybe some kind of coastal artillery thing?
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?



Maybe some kind of coastal artillery thing?



*cough*Marines*cough*
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 8:07:35 PM EDT
[#18]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?

View Quote


Those Ladies and Gentlemen of Valor.
One fifth of the United States navy belongs to or supports the Marines.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 8:08:12 PM EDT
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm


Damn.  How you found that I have no idea.  I tried searching for him by name and could only find an officer who served in the 1880's.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 8:14:01 PM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



*cough*Marines*cough*
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?



Maybe some kind of coastal artillery thing?



*cough*Marines*cough*


Meh.  Same thing.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 8:20:25 PM EDT
[#21]
According to this http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a194175.pdf he was assigned to the Military Assistant and Advisory Group (MAAG) maybe the label is a typo.

ETA:
STODDARD William Goodnow Jr 023130 B-Mlch 27 May 18 A-MA
Tex BSM CR BSUSMA 40 E-C&GS Coll PG Adm Crse Princeton
Univ 47 Cadet MA 1 July 36 to 10 June 40 lit AUS 10 Oct 41 to
C I AUS 2 Sep 55 RA 21t QMC 11 June 40 to Col 11 June 65 PL
1544
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:12:35 PM EDT
[#22]
In the Navy. Isn't that a song lyric
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:16:43 PM EDT
[#23]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Damn.  How you found that I have no idea.  I tried searching for him by name and could only find an officer who served in the 1880's.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm


Damn.  How you found that I have no idea.  I tried searching for him by name and could only find an officer who served in the 1880's.

I searched for "Lt Col W. G. Stoddard" on bing.   It was the first result.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:17:14 PM EDT
[#24]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



*cough*Marines*cough*
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Who ever heard of a Lt Col in the navy?



Maybe some kind of coastal artillery thing?



*cough*Marines*cough*

Army.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:25:10 PM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
According to this http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a194175.pdf he was assigned to the Military Assistant and Advisory Group (MAAG) maybe the label is a typo.

ETA:
STODDARD William Goodnow Jr 023130 B-Mlch 27 May 18 A-MA
Tex BSM CR BSUSMA 40 E-C&GS Coll PG Adm Crse Princeton
Univ 47 Cadet MA 1 July 36 to 10 June 40 lit AUS 10 Oct 41 to
C I AUS 2 Sep 55 RA 21t QMC 11 June 40 to Col 11 June 65 PL
1544
View Quote


That's just how the military does things, read it as:

Group, Assistant and Advisory. Military.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:34:00 PM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

I searched for "Lt Col W. G. Stoddard" on bing.   It was the first result.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm


Damn.  How you found that I have no idea.  I tried searching for him by name and could only find an officer who served in the 1880's.

I searched for "Lt Col W. G. Stoddard" on bing.   It was the first result.


Well, fuck google then.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 9:45:40 PM EDT
[#27]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Well, fuck google then.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
GAAM: Government Auditing and Accounting Manual

The good LtCol has made himself a box that explains how to fill out DD214's, and that manual is packed in that crate.  It goes to FPO, AE for shipping, and I'm guessing that's a VERY old scrap of paper.  
He's a personnel officer in charge of processing outgoing discharges?

Find some more stuff in the house and give us more clues.

The guy was an Army Logistics Officer in the China Burma India theater during WW2.

http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2011/mar2011/William_G_Stoddard.htm


Damn.  How you found that I have no idea.  I tried searching for him by name and could only find an officer who served in the 1880's.

I searched for "Lt Col W. G. Stoddard" on bing.   It was the first result.


Well, fuck google then.

I normaly use Google but I have Bing on my phone.
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 10:10:14 PM EDT
[#28]
So we have two contenders:  

Contestant #1 is an Army Quartermaster who was in Detroit at one time, where OP has posted from.

Contestant #2 Was another Army guy who was an observer/attaché to Portugal (if I read that info right)

My idea didn't have much corroborating evidence.  Based on what we have so far, do we have enough evidence to make a decision?
Link Posted: 9/3/2015 10:43:07 PM EDT
[#29]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
So we have two contenders:  

Contestant #1 is an Army Quartermaster who was in Detroit at one time, where OP has posted from.

Contestant #2 Was another Army guy who was an observer/attaché to Portugal (if I read that info right)

My idea didn't have much corroborating evidence.  Based on what we have so far, do we have enough evidence to make a decision?
View Quote


I'm pretty sure they're the same guy, joined the Army in 1940, assigned to Portugal in 1951, and joined TACOM in 1966.  Based on the service history the label is from sometime between 1960 and 1965.
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