On 26 December 1943 the 1st Marine Division went ashore at Cape Gloucester, on the western end of New Britain, from Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey's amphibious force. The escort carrier named for that landing was Willapa Bay until 26 April 1944. Todd-Pacific at Tacoma launched her on 12 September 1944. Mrs. R. M. Griffin sponsored her. Captain J. W. Harris commissioned her on 5 March 1945, and she reported to the Pacific Fleet.
After operational training at Pearl Harbor she reached Leyte on 29 June 1945 and joined the Third Fleet. From 5 to 17 July her planes flew combat air patrol against suicide planes that were attacking minesweepers east of Okinawa. They then raided and photographed shipping and airfields along the China coast until 7 August. In that stretch her aircraft shot down several Japanese planes and helped damage a cargo ship of about 700 tons.
She covered minesweeping along the Japanese coasts and helped recover Allied troops from prison camps on Kyushu. She then made four voyages with servicemen from Okinawa and Pearl Harbor to the west coast. She returned to Tacoma on 22 May 1946 and was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 5 November 1946. She received one battle star. Still in reserve, she was redesignated CVHE-109 on 12 June 1955 and AKV-9 on 7 May 1959.