Tingey was laid down on 22 October 1942 by the Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco, Calif.; launched on 28 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Garry Owen; and commissioned on 25 November 1943, Commander John O.

The destroyer participated in exercises out of Pearl Harbor in February and March before screening a convoy en route to the Marshalls early in April.

Later that month, while supporting carrier strikes on Eton and Dublon in the Truk Islands, Tingey suffered casualties during an engagement with Japanese aircraft.

On 29 April, Tingey continued screening duties for the task force while one of its cruiser units bombarded Satawan Island.

Steaming off San Bernardino Strait on the night of 25/26 October, Tingey joined with the battleships and cruisers of the task group to sink the Japanese destroyer Nowaki.

After a fruitless search for survivors, the carrier group aborted planned strikes on Luzon because of bad weather and rough seas and returned to Ulithi.

In January 1945, Tingey proceeded to the South China Sea for strikes on French Indochina and Hong Kong before returning to Ulithi.

In February, she participated in Operation Jamboree strikes on Tokyo Bay and experienced enemy air attacks as she performed screening duties in support of the Iwo Jima landings.

When enemy aircraft bombed carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) on the 19th, causing fire and extensive damage, Tingey rescued survivors and escorted the battered vessel to Ulithi.

From August to December 1951, she operated off Wonsan on the east coast of Korea supplying gunfire support for United Nations ground troops, conducting anti-mining and shore bombardment patrols off Hungnam, and destroying many enemy targets.

During this six-month tour off Korea, Tingey completed successful fire missions on enemy troops, railroads, and gun and mortar positions.

During this tour, Tingey operated out of Sasebo, Japan conducted missions off the east and west coasts of Korea; and visited Taiwan and the Philippines before she returned to San Diego in April 1954.

Tingey trained Chinese Nationalist personnel and visited Bangkok and Manila before setting course for Hong Kong on 27 January.

Returning from WestPac in 1957, she operated out of San Diego as a naval reserve training ship until 1962 when SEATO exercises sent Tingey to the Far East once more.