O'Neill was laid down on 26 August 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey; launched on 14 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. W. T. O'Neill and commissioned on 6 December 1943.
O'Neill was constructed at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newark, New Jersey, beginning on August 26, 1943, and was launched on November 14, 1943. It was sponsored by Mrs. W. T. O'Neill and officially entered service on December 6, 1943.