In 1925, while on this station, members of her crew joined a force which landed at Shanghai during the civil disorder following shooting of Chinese students by municipal police.

MacLeish remained in Asiatic and Pacific waters until 11 March 1938, when she was decommissioned and entered the Reserve Fleet at San Diego, California.

In July, she was transferred to North Atlantic patrol and convoy operations, and continued this duty after the United States entered the war.

With the Allied offensive in north Africa calling for an ever-increasing flow of supplies, by February 1943, every available escort was assigned to transatlantic duty.

In June she joined one of the first escort carrier groups, and for the next 7 months steamed over 50,000 miles covering the Norfolk - Casablanca convoy route.

Decommissioned 8 March 1946, MacLeish was struck from the Navy list 13 November, sold 18 December to Boston Metals Company, Baltimore, Maryland, and scrapped.