On 4 June 1942 during the Battle of Midway Greene was piloting a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber in Bombing Squadron 6 (VB-6) based on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

He broke through heavy Imperial Japanese Navy fighter and antiaircraft opposition to dive-bomb the aircraft carrier Kaga.

Eugene A. Greene was placed out of commission from 1 April 1952 to 1 December 1952, during which period she was being converted to a radar picket destroyer.

On 18 June 1970 the Greene and the oiler Waccamaw (AO-109) were involved in a minor collision in the eastern Mediterranean during refueling operations.

[7][8] This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.