She had been renamed Catherine Johnson by the time the U.S. Navy inspected her in 1917 for possible naval use during World War I and assigned her the section patrol number SP-390.

Catherine Johnson was assigned to the 3rd Naval District, where she transported supplies for the next 12 years, probably in the New York City area.

When the U.S. Navy adopted its modern hull number system on 17 July 1920, she received the "freight lighter" classification "YF" and was renamed USS YF-161.

At about the same time, she was reclassified as an "open lighter, non-self-propelled" (YC) and renamed USS YC-660.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.