McClure was born on September 15, 1896, in Rome, Georgia, and graduated from New York Military Academy as Cadet First Captain in 1915.

He fought on the Western Front with the 102nd Infantry Regiment, part of the 26th Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).

[4]Remaining in the army following the end of the war, McClure spent from 1927 to 1933 in Tianjin, China with the 15th Infantry Regiment, becoming fluent in Chinese.

[2] In November 1944, McClure returned to China to act as chief of staff to Albert Coady Wedemeyer, his former comrade from the 15th Infantry Regiment.

[6] In the immediate postwar period he remained in China training Kuomintang guerillas before being transferred to a post on the Marianas Islands.

[8] McClure was named by Collins, now the Chief of Staff of the United States Army and a full general, as his replacement, although his tenure as divisional commander would turn out to be short-lived.

[9] Almond began to be critical of McClure's leadership, citing a "lack of supervision" in reports back to Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway, then commanding the Eighth Army.

He ordered his division to withdraw to a position much farther to the rear than agreed upon by Almond, who was angered by McClure's disobedience.