Attacked by Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters within minutes of their departure, the Avengers briefly evaded their pursuers and climbed to 4,000 feet (1,200 m).

This exercise was cut short when Lawe received orders to proceed to Norfolk, Virginia, and escort President Harry S. Truman, on board his yacht, USS Williamsburg, to Key West, Florida, arriving there on 16 March.

Upon her return to the United States on 16 May, the destroyer spent the summer months at the Boston Naval Shipyard undergoing overhaul, followed by refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In the spring, the destroyer spent several weeks in antisubmarine operations in the Caribbean; then, on 3 June, the ship departed Newport and, together with Power, Lawe escorted Oriskany around Cape Horn to the Pacific and up the West Coast of South America.

On 26 August 1952, William C. Lawe joined in the major NATO Exercise "Mainbrace" which was conducted off Norway and Denmark and took the ship to ports in Scotland, Germany, and England.

Upon completion of "Mainbrace", the destroyer spent two weeks operating with units from the British Joint Antisubmarine School at Derry, Northern Ireland.

Continuous operations were interspersed with liberty visits at Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic.

Further antisubmarine exercises were conducted off the eastern seaboard throughout the spring of 1953, interrupted by an Armed Forces Day visit to Beaumont, Texas.

In June, the ship commenced a three-month overhaul at the Boston Naval Shipyard, followed by refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In May, the ship weighed anchor once again for the Mediterranean where, in addition to visiting ports in Italy, Spain, and France, she also conducted amphibious landing exercises with units of the Greek and Turkish armies.

William C. Lawe rang in the new year, 1956, with refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, then visited New Orleans, Louisiana, for the Mardi Gras celebration.

During the first half of 1958, the destroyer completed refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, then joined in antisubmarine warfare exercises in the North Atlantic.

In June, William C. Lawe's home port was changed to Mayport, Florida, where the ship remained in local operations throughout the year.

William C. Lawe served as a rescue destroyer for aircraft carrier operations, a training ship for midshipmen on their annual summer cruise, a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School, and a search and rescue destroyer along the flight route of the President of the United States during his trip to the 1960 summit conference in Europe.

She returned to Mayport, Florida, in September and commenced preparations for a material inspection prior to Mark I FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) overhaul.

Eleven months later, the destroyer resumed an "In Commission" status; and, on 11 November 1961, she departed Charleston Naval Shipyard for Mayport, Florida.

On 1 January 1962, the ship became a member of Destroyer Squadron 16 (Desron 16), also homeported at Mayport, Florida in early March, William C. Lawe deployed to the Mediterranean where she participated in numerous NATO and 6th Fleet operations.

The month of July was spent in upkeep; and, after "Blue-Gold" operations, the ship once again got underway on 26 August for the Dominican Republic where she served as flagship for Task Force 124 (TF 124).

After antisubmarine exercises and a two-week trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during May, Lawe got underway for Charleston, South Carolina, and overhaul.

She returned to Mayport on 26 September and, except for a brief period of plane guard duty with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the destroyer remained in her home port for the remainder of the year.

William C. Lawe began the year 1971 with duty as a support ship for the firing of a Poseidon missile by Von Steuben at Cape Kennedy.

During the five-month deployment, the ship visited ports in Porto Grande, Cape Verde Islands;Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Luanda, Angola; Mozambique (city), Mozambique; Mombasa, Kenya; Massawa, Ethiopia; Djibouti, French Territory of the Afars and the Issas; Karachi, Pakistan; Cochin, India; Seychelles Island; Diego Garcia; Recife, Brazil; and Port of Spain, Trinidad.

On 8 November 1971, William C. Lawe put to sea as a member of Destroyer Squadron 16 (DesRon 16), conducting surveillance of four units of the Soviet Navy which were visiting Cuba.

The new year, 1972, ushered in William C. Lawe's first yard availability of major proportions since 1968; she was assigned restricted overhaul at the Jacksonville Shipyards, Jacksonville, Florida Upon successful completion of dock trials in late March and refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the destroyer performed a surveillance mission in the Caribbean until early June.

On 10 December, William C. Lawe experienced her first combat action in 27 years of service during a daring night raid on North Vietnamese coastal defense sites in which she received hostile return fire.

During a tender availability in Pensacola, Florida, in November, William C. Lawe had pictures of the ship and crew taken by many Navy photographers for use in recruiting posters and advertisements.

Highlights of the year included operations with the Jeanne d'Arc and Forbin of the French Navy and Bicentennial port visits to Corpus Christi and Brownsville, Texas.

On 21 June, the destroyer, in company with Davis and Robert A. Owens, departed her home port; and, after off-loading ammunition at the Naval Weapons Station, Charleston, South Carolina, she set sail for a cruise of the Great Lakes.

Port visits included Ogdensburg, Oswego, and Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Toledo and Ashtabula, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Halifax, Canada.

A recommendation to strike William C. Lawe from the Navy List was rescinded on 27 July 1979, and the destroyer was retained for additional active service.