Waccamaw was laid down on 28 April 1945 by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania; launched on 30 March 1946; sponsored by Miss Irene F. Long; and commissioned on 25 June 1946.

[1] After completing shakedown and training at Norfolk, Virginia, and Guantanamo Bay, Waccamaw spent her first two years engaged in transporting oil from the Persian Gulf to the United States.

[1] After a shipyard overhaul at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1952, Waccamaw participated in the development of the Thompson-Arwood method of fueling destroyers at sea in heavy weather.

During this period, Waccamaw provided logistic support to the ships engaged in the evacuation of Haifa, Israel; and Alexandria, Egypt.

[1] After returning from the Mediterranean, Waccamaw operated in the Caribbean for two months, participated in the International Naval Review at Norfolk, Virginia, on 12 and 13 June 1957, and then departed on her fourth midshipman cruise which took her to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Aruba, Dutch West Indies.

[1] During September and October 1957, Waccamaw, as a member of the underway replenishment group, supported the international fleet participating in the NATO fall exercises.

[1] After a brief rest in December 1958, Captain Thomas H. Henry brought Waccamaw back to her assigned mission by fueling Destroyer Flotilla 2 in January 1959 and then proceeded south to the Virgin Islands where she remained until the end of March.

[1] After completing refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, the ship returned to Newport, Rhode Island, and embarked 18 midshipmen from several eastern colleges for a cruise in Atlantic waters.

During August, Waccamaw underwent a much-needed tender availability, and a one-day dependents' cruise was fitted into her busy September schedule.

In October, Waccamaw supported the newly created antisubmarine warfare group operating in the eastern Atlantic.

On the way, Waccamaw participated in Operation "Riptide", working in support of such ships as the nuclear carrier USS Enterprise.

[1] During the period from March through June, Waccamaw held a dependents' cruise; supported the fruitless USS Thresher search; and conducted two deployments which totaled five weeks with Canadian anti-submarine warfare forces.

Late in July, Waccamaw departed Newport for six weeks in the Caribbean supporting Commander, ASW Forces, Atlantic Fleet, embarked in USS Randolph.

At the year's end, preparations were hard underway on board Waccamaw for the most extensive yard period in the ship's 17-year history.

Following a fitting out and ready-for-sea period, Waccamaw departed the Puget Sound area and proceeded to San Diego, arriving there on 23 April.

After stopping at Acapulco, Mexico, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, the ship returned to Newport, Rhode Island, on 12 May 1965.

On 14 November, Waccamaw returned to Norfolk and underwent type training and services before serving as a replenishment ship for the primary recovery group assigned to the Gemini VI and VII space missions.

During her Mediterranean cruise, she steamed in excess of 20,000 miles (32,000 km), refueled 256 ships, and pumped more than 32 million US gallons (120,000 m3) of fuel oil.

Waccamaw returned to the Norfolk Navy Station on 15 December and remained until the end of the year for tender availability and holiday leave.

[1] After refueling ships of the 2nd Fleet and lifting fuel at Craney Island, Waccamaw departed on 27 February 1967 to escort six destroyers to the Azores.

On 24 July, she took part in NATO Exercise "Lashout;" and, upon her return to Norfolk, she prepared for annual administrative and operational readiness inspections which were completed on 28 August and 12 September, respectively.

After conducting exercises in the Virginia Capes operating area, she completed refresher training in Guantanamo Bay on 20 June.

On 21 August, the ship moved to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, to make final preparations for deployment.

On 22 May, Admiral Zumwalt, Chief of Naval Operations, visited Waccamaw, high-lining on board from USS Julius A.

[1] On 18 June 1970, USS Eugene A. Greene lost steering and collided with Waccamaw while refueling in the eastern Mediterranean.

After visiting Athens, Greece, and Souda Bay, Crete, Waccamaw again departed for Rota, Spain, and home.

Waccamaw spent the remainder of the year in port undergoing steering repairs and upkeep, except for sea trials on 20 September and services in the Virginia capes area from 2 to 24 November 1971.

From 17 March through 30 May, Waccamaw conducted operations in the Virginia Capes area and off the east coast of Florida and South Carolina.

The ship returned to Subic Bay, thence to Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal, and, finally, Norfolk, Virginia.

On 24 September 1981 USS Guadalcanal and Waccamaw collided during underway replenishment south of Sardinia, Italy, causing minor damage but no injuries.