Whitehurst, hull DE-634, belonged to the Buckley class of destroyer escorts. The name honors Ensign Henry Purefoy Whitehurst. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, at San Francisco, also called Union Iron Works, laid her down on 21 March 1943 and launched her on 5 September 1943. The Navy commissioned her on 19 November 1943. Her first commanding officer was Lieutenant Commander James Robert Gray.
Her Pacific duty took her to Majuro, Funafuti, Espiritu Santo, and New Guinea. She was credited with 3 battle stars.
Her commissioned service ended on 27 November 1946. The Navy later expended her as a target.
