Alexander J. Luke was laid down on 5 November 1943 by the Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts; launched on 28 December 1943; sponsored by Catherine B. Luke, mother of Sgt. Luke; and commissioned on 19 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander Herbert A. Peterson in command.

While returning to Boston on 2 March, the destroyer escort ran aground and suffered minor damage. After a period of drydocking for repairs, she got underway on 16 April for a shakedown cruise to Bermuda and returned to Boston on 15 May for post-shakedown availability.

1944

The ship reported to Norfolk, Virginia, in early June and began conducting exercises as a training ship for precommissioning details. On 13 July, Alexander J. Luke sailed as a unit of Escort Division 66 in company with a convoy bound for Bizerte, Tunisia. The ship returned to the Virginia Capes area on 27 August. Following an availability period and training exercises at Boston and Casco Bay, Maine, Alexander J. Luke joined Task Group 62.7 for another voyage to the Mediterranean. She sailed with a convoy to Algeria on 27 September and returned to Boston on 4 November. Upon arriving in Boston, Alexander J. Luke entered drydock. She got underway on 23 November for a period of anti-submarine warfare exercises and tactical maneuvers conducted at Casco Bay; NS Argentia, Newfoundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and New London, Connecticut.

1945

On 21 March 1945, the ship returned to convoy duty, sailing for Great Britain. She made port calls at Derry, Northern Ireland; Liverpool and Falmouth, England; and Loch Alsh, Scotland. Having completed this mission, she reported to the Brown Shipbuilding Corp., Houston, Texas, on 22 June for conversion to a radar picket escort ship. The yard work was completed on 7 December, and the ship received the new designation DER-577 .