Lieutenant (junior grade) Bronson was killed at the Naval Proving Ground Indianhead, Indian Head, Maryland, on 8 November 1916, while testing experimental aerial bombs.

Clarence K. Bronson reached Pearl Harbor 21 November 1943 for final training, remaining in Hawaiian waters aside from a single escort voyage to Tarawa, until January 1944, when she joined the Fast Carrier Task Force (then 5th Fleet's TF 58).

Clarence K. Bronson was one of the ships which displayed her searchlight aloft as a homing beacon for carrier pilots at the close of the battle as the Fleet audaciously revealed itself to save its aviators.

In November and December 1944, air strikes covered the Mindoro landings, and through January 1945, raids on Japanese bases on Formosa, Luzon, the Nansei Shoto and Chinese ports made possible the Lingayen assault.

Recommissioned 7 June 1951, Clarence K. Bronson had training along the east coast and in the Caribbean until 18 May 1953, when she sailed from her home port, Newport, R.I., to join TF 77 in Korean waters 3 July.