Cokesit was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Guy M. Standifer Construction Company of Vancouver for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was largely employed on the East Coast of the United States to Australia route until 1928 when she was laid up. In late 1937 the ship together with several other vessels was bid on and subsequently acquired next year by the Greek tramp operator John D. Chandris to carry cargo from Australia to Greece and United Kingdom. The freighter was also renamed Adelfoi Chandris. Following the surrender of France, the ship was interned in Dakar and passed into Vichy government hands in 1940 and renamed Saint Marin. Under the terms of Nevers Agreement she eventually was transferred to Italy and renamed Catania. In early August 1943 the vessel together with several other ships was bombed and damaged in Naples harbor by the Allied aircraft.

After the United States entry into World War I, a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Design 1015 cargo ship was a standard cargo freighter of approximately 9,400 tons deadweight designed by Moore Shipbuilding Co. and adopted by USSB.

Cokesit was part of the order for 10 vessels placed by USSB with Guy M. Standifer Construction Co. on 8 January 1918 and was laid down on 3 August 1918 and launched on 31 December 1918 (yard number 1), with Miss Ruth Standifer, sister of Guy M. Standifer, principal owner of the G. M. Standifer Construction Co., being the sponsor. Due to the ship being the first vessel launched by a newly established yard, there was a large crowd in attendance consisting of common folk and local dignitaries. Just as with many other vessels being built for the Shipping Board, her name was picked by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson who often chose Native American words for naming purposes.

The ship had two main decks as well as forecastle and poop deck and was built on the Isherwood principle of longitudinal framing providing extra strength to the body of the vessel. The freighter had five main holds and also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from five large hatches, including ten winches and a large number of derricks. She was also equipped with wireless apparatus, had submarine signal system installed and had electrical lights installed along the decks.

As built, the ship was 401.4 feet (122.3 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 53.2 feet (16.2 m) abeam, a depth of 31.9 feet (9.7 m). Cokesit was originally assessed at 6,176 GRT and 4,401 NRT and had deadweight of approximately 9,627. The vessel had a steel hull with double bottom throughout with exception of her machine compartment, and a single 2,800 ihp triple expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 24+1⁄2-inch (62 cm), 41+1⁄2-inch (105 cm) and 72-inch (180 cm) diameter with a 48-inch (120 cm) stroke, that drove a single screw propeller and moved the ship at up to 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h). The steam for the engine was supplied by three single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for both coal and oil fuel.

The sea trials were held on the Columbia River on 16 April 1919 during which the ship could easily maintain an average speed of 11+1⁄2 knots (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h) on several runs over a measured distance, half a knot above her contract speed. Following their successful completion, the ship was turned over to the USSB two weeks later.

While the steamer was still under construction she was allocated by the USSB to Pacific Steamship Company to transport flour to the East Coast for delivery to Europe. Following an established USSB policy the Shipping Board ship could only continue with cargo to Europe if an equivalent amount of cargo space would be allocated by a foreign shipping operator. After finishing her test trial, the freighter was put back into shipbuilder's yard for minor repairs and painting. She then moved to an elevator where she took on board 7,525 tons of flour and cleared from loading area on May 16. Cokesit then proceeded on a twelve-hour long loaded trail run arriving at Astoria next day at around noon. The vessel finally sailed out on May 19 and arrived at Hampton Roads via the Panama Canal on June 17 where she unloaded her entire cargo of flour. Soon after she was reallocated to Barber Line and proceeded to Savannah where she loaded 6,085 bales of cotton in addition to other cargo and departed for Liverpool and Glasgow on August 22. Cokesit returned to Newport News from her European trip on November 14 and from there proceeded to Tampa on December 15 to load a full cargo of phosphate rock for delivery to Denmark. The freighter made one more voyage for Barber Line in May 1920 carrying a mixed cargo of cotton and phosphates to Le Havre and Ghent and returning to Newport News on July 8. She then remained berthed at Hampton Roads until being chartered for one trip to France and departing with 6,611 tons of coal for Dunkirk on 29 October 1920. She returned to Savannah from her trip in mid-December of the same year and remained idle there for an entire 1921.

In December 1921 Cokesit was allocated to Lykes Brothers to serve on their trade route from Galveston to French and German ports and departed Savannah on 6 January 1922 bound for New Orleans. She sailed from there on January 26 for Rotterdam carrying a cargo of grain and lumber. She made one more trip in April 1922 to Bremen with a cargo of 85,731 bushels of rye before being withdrawn from Gulf service in May 1922 due to her being a coal-burning vessel and her inability to hold enough coal to make a round trip voyage to Europe.