Ringness served on Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942 and was mortally wounded during the Japanese battleship bombardment of Henderson Field on the night of 13–14 October 1942. Despite his wounds, he continued to assist other wounded personnel. Three days later, on 17 October 1942, he died as a result of his injuries. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
The amphibious landings on Okinawa took place on 1 April 1945, and during the two days following, Ringness engaged in anti-suicide boat patrol along the southeast coast of Okinawa, where intelligence reports had located Japanese suicide-boat nests. On the night of 2 April 1945, Ringness attacked a Japanese midget submarine with undetermined results.
On 3 April 1945 Ringness steamed to Ulithi Atoll for supplies, returning to Okinawa with Task Group 53.8. Upon arrival she was assigned to anti-submarine and anti-aircraft patrol, undergoing numerous air attacks. This patrol lasted only four days before she steamed as a convoy escort to Saipan.
On 30 April 1945, Ringness arrived at Okinawa for the third time since the Okinawa campaign began, remaining there for the entire month of May 1945. During this time she maintained her various anti-submarine and anti-aircraft screen stations. On 4 May Ringness witnessed the death dive of a kamikaze onto the flight deck of the escort aircraft carrierSangamon (CVE-26), turning Sangamon into a roaring inferno. Ringness stood by the crippled vessel and rescued some of the men forced over the side by flames and explosions.
On 11 May 1945, Ringness proceeded to Radar Picket Station 15 for rescue and salvage work on destroyersHugh W. Hadley (DD-774) and Evans (DD-552), which had born the brunt of one of the heaviest Japanese air attacks of this period. On the night of 16 May 1945, just off Okinawa, Ringness dodged an oncoming kamikaze, getting credit for shooting it down. At the end of May, Ringness escorted a convoy to Ulithi Atoll, arriving there on 6 June 1945.
Convoy escort duty
Ringness then proceeded on to Leyte in the Philippine Islands. After further convoy escort duty between Leyte, Okinawa, and Ulithi Atoll, Ringness was diverted from her escort duty on 3 August 1945 and rescued 39 survivors of the sinking of the heavy cruiserIndianapolis (CA-35) including its captain Charles B. McVay III.
Post-World War II service
Ringness was in Leyte Gulf at the end of World War II on 15 August 1945. She proceeded to Okinawa, then participated in the occupation landings at Jinsen, Korea. On 26 September, Ringness was detached and departed Jinsen for Okinawa.
On 29 September 1945, Ringness commenced her second occupation operation as sole escort for Task Unit 78.1.94 bound for Tientsin, China. On 9 October 1945 she shifted to Qingdao, China, serving as 7th Amphibious Force Beachmaster (Director of Disembarkation) Flagship. She remained at Qingdao until departing for the United States on 29 January 1946. She arrived at San Pedro, California, on 23 February 1946, transited the Panama Canal, and put into Norfolk, Virginia, on 14 March 1946.