Dickerson was decommissioned on 26 June 1922 and placed in reserve at the New York Navy Yard until recommissioned on 1 May 1930, served with the Rotating Reserve, was assigned to the Neutrality Patrol at Key West on 25 July 1940, Dickerson operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean and in 1921 took part in the combined fleet maneuvers off South America, visiting Valparaíso, Callao, and Balboa, Panama, before returning to Hampton Roads where the U.S. Atlantic Fleet was reviewed by President Warren G. Harding.

Recommissioned 1 May 1930, Dickerson resumed operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean, engaging in tactical exercises with carriers, torpedo firing, and maneuvers with the Fleet.

Upon her return from the latter cruise, she took part in the Presidential Fleet Review on 31 May 1934 at Brooklyn, New York, then entered Norfolk Navy Yard in August where she was assigned to Rotating Reserve Squadron 19 for overhaul.

During the year spent in European waters, she visited Spanish ports; aided in the evacuation of refugees from Casablanca; and executed special mission for the State Department.

Between 17 July and 13 August, she sailed to Derry, Northern Ireland, for exercises with British Fleet units, returning to Charleston, S.C., for conversion to a high-speed transport.

After a brief repair period at Pearl Harbor, she arrived at Roi in the Marshalls to embark an underwater demolition team from Dent and carried them into action at Saipan and Guam.

She remained in the Marianas as supply, control and fire support ship for her team until the end of July, then returned to the west coast for overhaul the following month.

She returned to Leyte with 58 prisoners of war, then departed again 24 March with an LST-LSM convoy which was assigned to capture the island of Keise Shima, on which heavy artillery would be placed for the bombardment of Okinawa.

One of the kamikaze planes approached the destroyer in a long, low glide, and slashed off the tops of her two stacks before smashing into the base of her bridge, toppling her mast and starting intense gasoline fires.