World War I
After her 13 July 1918 completion, West Ekonk was handed over to the United States Navy for use in the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and assigned the identification number 3313. She was commissioned at Seattle, as USS West Ekonk (ID-3313) the same day with Lieutenant Commander Richard Willowden, United States Naval Reserve Forces, in command.
West Ekonk sailed to Port Costa, California, and took on a load of wheat flour and sailed for New York, via the Panama Canal, on 24 July. After reaching New York on 27 August, West Ekonk joined a France-bound convoy, departing on 4 September.
West Ekonk arrived at Brest, France, on 19 September, discharged her cargo, and headed back to New York on 30 September. She took on a load of freight consigned to the Italian government and set out for Genoa in early November. West Ekonk was en route to Italy when the Armistice that ended fighting was signed on 11 November. After completing her trip, she made another cargo run to Genoa, sailing from New York in late January 1919 and returning on 3 April 1919. Six days later West Ekonk was decommissioned and returned to the .
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