Following shakedown training out of San Diego, General E. T. Collins departed 14 August 1944 with over 3,000 troops for the Pacific fighting, as America's island campaign increased in momentum.

Following the Japanese surrender, the ship arrived San Pedro 22 September with returning veterans, and joined the "Magic Carpet" fleet in the giant task of bringing home the thousands of troops from the Pacific islands.

At the outbreak of the war in Korea, the ship began transporting American troops to that stricken land for the struggle to thwart Communist aggression.

General E. T. Collins arrived 14 December and, under an umbrella of naval gunfire provided by USS Missouri (BB-63) and other ships, took on more than 6,000 exhausted troops, three times her troop-carrying capacity.

After the Korean armistice General E. T. Collins continued to rotate troops in Korea and Japan, keeping strong America's presence in the critical Far East.