On 29 January, 50 miles (80 km) to the north of Rennell Island, Japanese torpedo-carrying "Betty" bombers (Mitsubishi G4M-1s) came in low from the east carefully avoiding silhouetting themselves against the afterglow of dusk.

Waller, on the starboard beam of flagship Wichita and cruisers Chicago (CA-29) and Louisville (CA-28), came under machine-gun fire from the lead "Betty" as it bore in on the attack.

Soon red, green, and white flares gave the scene an eerie, ghostly effect, as the Japanese set off pyrotechnics to illuminate the American force.

One "Betty" splashed into the sea astern of Waller, before another enemy aircraft scored a torpedo hit on Chicago at 19:45, holing the cruiser's starboard side forward, and stopping three of the ship's four drive-shafts.

Assigned to protect the larger ships, the destroyers drew the duty of silencing any hostile shore batteries which might try to interfere with the cruisers as they carried out the main bombardment.

Entering Kula Gulf shortly after midnight on 5 March, Waller's radar detected two ships—later determined to be Murasame and Minegumo—at the eastern entrance to Blackett Strait and standing out at high speed, apparently unaware of the American ships' presence.

Six minutes after action had commenced, Murasame broke in two from an "extremely violent" explosion, the victim of a combination of torpedoes and gunfire from Waller and her mates.

The Vila raid and the Battle of Blackett Strait evoked the praise of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who with glowing understatement called the exploit a "creditable performance."

As the Japanese sought to resupply their trapped garrisons on islands like Vella Lavella, Arundel, and Kolombangara, they utilized destroyers as transports and supply ships in what became known as the "Tokyo Express".

In the fierce night action, two Japanese destroyers, Niizuki and Nagatsuki, were sunk as was Helena (CL-50) which fell victim to the dreaded "Long Lance" torpedoes.

During efforts to save the surviving crew of Helena, Waller served in the force covering Woodworth (DD-460) and Gwin (DD-433) which were engaged in the primary rescue operations.

Although the destroyer found no visible evidence that she had scored a kill, the commander of Task Group 36.2 (TG 36.2), Rear Admiral Aaron S. "Tip" Merrill, commented that the probability of the submarine's destruction was good endorsement to Waller's action report.

While screening TG 31.2—four destroyers and four fast transports (APDs) bound for Enogai Inlet, New Georgia—a search plane picked up what looked like four enemy ships near Kolombangara Island and radioed a contact report.

Waller and her mates did not pursue the fleeing "enemy" but broke off action and returned to their duties covering the departing APDs, apparently satisfied that one had made a hit on the "Japanese destroyer".

The total American force consisting of six destroyers, eight APDs, a fleet tug, and eight LSTs was crossing Empress Augusta Bay, off the coast of Bougainville, when 10 Japanese torpedo planes swooped in low and fast at 03:00.

About a fortnight later, during the Green Island invasion, the ship set out, in company with Saufley (DD-465), Renshaw (DD-499), and Philip, to bombard the Japanese radar station at Cape St. George and the Borpop and Namatanai airfields.

TG 51.18, an expeditionary force reserve whose mission was to support the occupation of the Marianas was slated to land on whatever island the situation might dictate Saipan, Guam, or Tinian.

On the evening of 18 June, the warship received orders to give fire support in two areas to assist the marines in repelling an enemy tank attack.

Waller and Pringle both leapt ahead at full speed, heading in an easterly direction as their funnels belched forth a large amount of oily, black smoke.

Waller fired several salvoes in return; but, as her action report noted, "possibly the terrain favored the Japanese, and no good point of aim was offered the director pointer."

An Allied patrol plane radioed a message to the division noting that a surfaced Japanese submarine—later determined to be I-46—was south of Pacijan Island, heading for Ormoc Bay.

Countermanding this order at the last minute because the submarine looked like she was already severely damaged, Waller instead continued to pump 40-millimeter and 5 inch shellfire into the enemy submersible which attempted a weak and ineffective return fire with her deck guns.

Waller remained in the Leyte Gulf area until 2 December, after making a second sweep into the Camotes Sea on the night of 29–30 November in search of a reported 10-ship Japanese convoy.

But while en route toward Honshū, escorting a convoy, Waller received the most welcome news that the Japanese had accepted the unconditional surrender terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

Returned to the 7th Fleet once more, Waller entered Shanghai, China, on 19 September for a tour with the reconstituted Yangtze Patrol force and was one of the first American warships to make port at that Chinese city.

The ship departed Chinese waters on 12 December bound for the United States, and after a stop at Pearl Harbor arrived at San Diego 18 days later.

On 14 May of that year, Waller headed west to participate in the Korean War and, upon arrival near the "Land of the Morning Calm", immediately joined Task Force 95 (TF 95) as it was proceeding to Wonsan harbor.

From 1951 to late 1956, Waller participated in many Antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercises off the east coast and made two extensive deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and two to the Caribbean.

Arriving in October, she reported immediately to the "gunline" and took up patrol duties on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin, off Qui Nhon, South Vietnam.

Although originally slated to become a Naval Reserve training ship on the east coast, after an extensive inspection Waller was decommissioned and struck from the Navy list on 15 July 1969.