She was acquired from the War Shipping Administration and commissioned at Pearl Harbor on 23 June 1945 with Lieutenant Harold L. Tysinger in command.

A tanker originally intended for use as Mobile Floating Storage, Gardoqui departed Pearl Harbor for Eniwetok 27 July 1945.

Reaching her destination 12 August, she discharged her cargo of fuel and lube oil to navy and merchant ships for almost a month.

Departing Tokyo 7 November, she transited the Panama Canal via Pearl Harbor 28 December and came to anchor off Mobile, Alabama, on 6 January 1946.

Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 12 April 1946 and she was sold to her previous owner, E. T. Bedford, 28 January 1947 and scrapped later that year.