Wacissa was laid down on 11 November 1944 at Savage, Minnesota, by Cargill, Inc.; launched on 15 June 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Albert Ford; and completed on 20 May 1946.

Subsequently, she carried cargoes of high test aviation gasoline and lubricating oils to Goose Bay, Labrador, and Argentia, Newfoundland.

Berthed at the Mayport Basin of the Green Cove Springs facility, the gasoline tanker remained in reserve until returned to MSTS on 24 May 1956.

Remaining in custodial status from that date, she lay there inactive until 8 April 1957, when she was transferred back to MSTS to resume her lubricant and fuel carrying duties off the west coast.

Soon after that, she was turned over to the Canadian government to operate with the Northern Transportation Co., Ltd. — the firm which had assumed responsibility for the annual resupplying of Distant Early Warning (DEW) line radar stations in the central Arctic.

Struck from the Navy list on 1 December 1963, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration in May 1964 and was then sold in the same month to the Nicolai Joffre Corp., of Beverly Hills, California, for scrapping.