Laid down 15 January 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Union Plant, San Francisco, Calif., she was launched 10 October 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Elton W. Grenfell; and commissioned 23 April 1943.

After shakedown and training off San Diego and escort duty in the Aleutians, Mullany joined the 7th Fleet in the southwest Pacific in December 1943.

Screening 7th Fleet flagship USS Wasatch (AGC-9) during the invasion of Leyte Gulf, Mullany fired to help drive off nine separate enemy air attacks from 20 to 29 October, then sailed for overhaul at San Francisco.

After training near Hawaii in January 1945, she joined Task Force 54 (TF 54) for the invasion of Iwo Jima, to which she escorted troop transports.

After firing in the preinvasion bombardment, she supported troops landing and fighting ashore, hitting caves and machinegun nests on Mount Suribachi 19 February.

While on anti-submarine picket duty guarding the Okinawa invasion force on 6 April 1945, Mullany opened fire on a Japanese kamikaze plane at 17:45.

An hour later, Momm received a report that the bulkhead of one of the aft magazines was hot and an explosion was apparently imminent.

USS Gherardi (DMS-30) stood by to take on survivors while her rescue and assistance team continued to spray water on Mullany.

Since the expected explosion had been prevented by punctured fuel and water tanks flooding the compartments above the hot magazine, Commander Momm took a skeleton crew back aboard at 23:00.

In the next 10 years, Mullany served eight times in the western Pacific with the 7th Fleet, joining in patrol and training operations essential to the protection of freedom in Asia.

Veteran Mullany returned to combat during her ninth cruise to the coast of Asia, screening carrier USS Independence (CVA-62) in flight operations off Vietnam in 1965, as well as serving as harbor defense ship at Da Nang.

Following an overhaul at Long Beach, Mullany spent the remainder of the year conducting refresher training and local operations off the coast of California.

Based in Long Beach, Mullany spent the next two years steaming up and down the West Coast as a reserve training ship.

She played an important role on the Navy force built-up and fleet combat readiness, secure the safety of Taiwan Strait and Maritime communications.