Laid down as AN-3 on 1 June 1942 at Pascagoula, Mississippi by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation; redesignated as a transport, AP-108, on 1 May 1943; launched on 1 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Dorothy K. McHenry, wife of Lt. John A. McHenry, Officer in Charge of Construction (for both U.S. Navy and Maritime Commission vessels), Pascagoula; redesignated as a vehicle landing ship, LSV-3, 21 April 1944; and commissioned alongside Outfitting Dock No.2, Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Florida, on 30 December 1944 with Captain Harry H. Keith in command.