The destroyer escort was named in honor of Melvin Rollie Nawman, Born 10 September in Aurora, Illinois, who died attempting to stop the "Tokyo Express" from landing additional reinforcements on Guadalcanal.

In October convoy missions commenced to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, and Ulithi, western Caroline group highlighted by a submarine contact on 18 November and an encounter with a severe tropical storm a month later.

Melvin R. Nawman screened the escort carrier USS Anzio as its planes bombed Japanese positions on Iwo Jima on 16 February (D day minus 3) until 3 March.

In the final stages of the war in the Pacific 47 consecutive days were spent at sea screening aircraft carrier task forces operating off the east coast of Japan before retiring to Guam.

Following shakedown she departed San Diego on 22 June to assume new duties with Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, arriving at Melville, Rhode Island pn 11 July.

Her Reserve crew completed one cruise to Puerto Rico in the spring of 1960 but on her last voyage Melvin R. Nawman was towed into the New York Navy Yard on 1 June for inactivation.