Otto Lessing (general)

Lessing was born on May 18, 1904, in Munich, Germany^[1] to a German-Jewish family. Later, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His home of record was Urbana, Illinois where his father, Otto Eduard Lessing, worked as professor of German literature (at University of Illinois) beginning in 1907.^[2]

Lessing joined the Marine Corps in 1924. During World War II, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Valor device for his actions as a battalion commander during the Battle of Saipan. He retired from the USMC in 1964 and died on March 13, 2002, at the age of 97.^{[citation needed]}