She silenced Japanese coastal defense guns at Motupene Point, Bougainville, 4 December 1943, and bombarded the Saba River area 25 January 1944.

In a case of mistaken identity on 17 March motor torpedo boat PT-283 was sunk by friendly fire from destroyer Guest (DD-472), in the Solomons, near Choseul Island.

Guest poured gunfire ahead of troops landing on Saipan 15 June 1944, then helped repel four massive air raids against Admiral Marc Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

A unit of Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's Western Fire Support group, she bombarded Anguar in the Palau Islands 12 September 1944.

She continued gunfire support until 28 February when she sailed to join the screen of escort carriers in San Pedro Bay, Philippine Islands.

Guest departed San Pedro Bay 27 March to guard escort carriers giving direct support to the invasion of Okinawa.

After decommissioning she was used during 1982 and 1983 as a target ship for gunnery and torpedo practice and for Exocet MM 38 anti-ship missiles launched by the Brazilian frigate Niterói.

On 23 February 1983, she was sunk by two torpedoes fired by the Brazilian submarine Ceará (S 14) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil approximately 80 nautical miles (148 km) south of Cabo Frio lighthouse.