McLemore was born in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee on May 23, 1869, the son of
William Sugars McLemore. After graduating from the
United States Naval Academy in 1891 he accepted a commission in the
United States Marine Corps. McLemore served in the Spanish–American War and during
World War I was the officer in Charge of Marine Corps recruiting. He was approved to receive the Brevet Medal for gallantry in the Spanish–American War, but died before it could be presented. Since the brevet medal was not presented posthumously it was never given to his family and instead placed on display in the National Museum. Major McLemore is credited with coining the Marine Corps recruiting slogan "First to Fight" ca. 1911 while assigned to the Marine Corps Recruiting Service.{{citation He died at the Naval Hospital at
Mare Island in
Vallejo, California, on July 13, 1921, and is buried in
Arlington National Cemetery. ==Marine Corps Brevet Medal citation==