Lieutenant Commander McLendon was a veteran of World War II. During the Korean War he was the Executive Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Detachment, Agana, Guam. On 11 November 1952, he was the pilot of a Coast Guard PBY-6 rescue aircraft on a training flight, which crashed after its engine caught fire on takeoff killing him, the co-pilot and an observer.

McLendon was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.