George E. Badger was laid down on 24 September 1918 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company; launched on 6 March 1920; sponsored by Miss Mary B. Wilson, the namesake's granddaughter; and commissioned on 28 July 1920.

Redesignated AVD-3 on 2 August 1940, she returned to Norfolk, Virginia on 12 January 1941 and subsequently tended planes while based at NS Argentia, Newfoundland, and Reykjavík, Iceland, until the spring of 1942.

Steaming with Bogue and Clemson, she sank U-613 on 23 July 1943 after four depth charge attacks broke up the deep-running submarine southwest of Sao Miguel, Azores; all 48 crew on board died.

Departing Hampton Roads on 14 November, she sailed for North Africa with Bogue, Osmond Ingram, Du Pont, and Clemson on an offensive anti-submarine patrol.

After escorting another convoy from Norfolk to North Africa and back, Badger underwent conversion to high speed transport at Charleston and was redesignated APD-33 on 19 May 1944.

Until the spring of 1945, the veteran warship was overhauled at Ulithi; conducted patrols off Iwo Jima during heavy fighting on the island; and escorted ships from Guam to Guadalcanal, Nouméa, and Manus.