The ship was laid down on 11 March 1944 at Consolidated Steel Corporation at, Orange, Texas, launched on 5 April 1944, and commissioned on 30 May 1944, as USS LCI(L)-973.

This infantry landing craft conducted shakedown out of Galveston, Texas in June 1944 before sailing later in the month to San Diego, California.

Assigned to picket duty with the Palau LCI Force, the landing craft's mission was to prevent the reinforcement of, or offensive action from, by-passed enemy held islands.

Though assigned to the 4th Naval District on 1 April, the ship returned south for four months of mine detection operations off Little Creek, Virginia, in 1954 and in March 1955 participated in LANTMINEX.

Oriole was decommissioned on 7 July 1955, struck from the Navy List on 1 January 1960, and sold on 27 March 1961 to Ships and Power, Inc. Miami, Florida.