Dionysus was originally launched as the Liberty ship SS Faithful by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard on 10 October 1944, sponsored by Mrs. H. C. McClelland.

Recommissioned on 13 February 1952, Dionysus sailed from Long Beach on 8 April to join the Atlantic Fleet.

An exception was a period in 1953 when she relocated to the Caribbean to repair ships operating from Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico, ending on 16 April 1954 when she sailed to visit Charleston, South Carolina.

Dionysus was withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet on 31 May 1978 and designated for use in an artificial reef program in North Carolina.

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