The ship was laid down by North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in their Cape Fear River yard on May 22, 1942, then launched on January 17, 1942. She was operated by United States Lines for the War Shipping Administration. In September 1942 "Greene" was part of the heavily escorted Arctic Convoy PQ 18. When fellow merchant ship SS Mary Luckenbach was struck by an aerial torpedo, its cargo of TNT detonated. One member of the Naval Armed Guard detachment assigned to the "Greene" was killed and the ship damaged. For her conduct during the convoy, the "Greene" and crew received the Gallant Ship Citation.