Otto Lessing

Otto Lessing (May 18, 1904 — March 13, 2002) was a major general in the United States Marine Corps.

Biography Lessing was born on May 18, 1904, in Munich, Germany 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.

Career 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.