Early years Litzenberg was born in 1903 in
Steelton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from high school in
Philadelphia and served two years in the
Pennsylvania National Guard. Litzenberg began his Marine Corps career as an enlisted Marine, graduating from the
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on October 5, 1922, as a private. After a tour of duty in Haiti, he was commissioned a
second lieutenant on 19 February 1925. He served in expeditionary duty in
Nicaragua in 1928 and 1929; and with Marine detachments aboard the , , , and . He graduated from the
U.S. Army Infantry School at
Fort Benning,
Georgia in 1933, and subsequently served for two years as Advisor-Instructor of a Marine Reserve battalion in Philadelphia. He then spent two years in
Guam as aide to the governor, head of the police department, and inspector-instructor of the Guam Militia. From 1938 to 1943, and again from September 1944 to May 1946, he served in
Washington, D.C., in the War Plans Sections of the offices of the
Chief of Naval Operations, the commander in chief, United States Fleet, and the
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
World War II At the beginning of
World War II, Major Litzenberg was assigned to Headquarters, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, and served in
England during combined planning with the British on the conduct of the war. He also participated in the amphibious assault on
Casablanca,
French Morocco in November 1942. After his return to the United States, General Litzenberg organized and commanded the
3rd Battalion, 24th Marines,
4th Marine Division. He later served as regimental executive officer during the assault on Roi-Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, where he earned his first
Silver Star. In March 1944, he joined the
V Amphibious Corps as assistant operations officer, and participated in the
Battle of Saipan and
Battle of Tinian.
Post-War years - Korea In June 1946, the general was assigned to the staff of commander, Seventh Fleet, and served as Seventh Fleet liaison officer with General of the Army
George C. Marshall and the Chinese Ministry of Defense in
Nanking,
China, until February 1947, when he became plans officer and Marine officer on the staff of commander, Naval Forces Western Pacific. He returned to Washington in August 1948 to attend the
National War College, and in May 1949 was named commanding officer of the
6th Marine Regiment,
2nd Marine Division, at
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina. At
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton,
California, on August 17, 1950, he formed and assumed command of the
7th Marine Regiment, which sailed for duty in
Korea on September 1, 1950. While in Korea, Litzenberg's 7th Marines took part in the
Battle of Inchon and the
Battle of Chosin Reservoir, for which he was awarded the
Navy Cross.
Post-Korean War General Litzenberg returned to the United States in April 1951 and was assigned duties at
Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington. In December of the same year, he was named Legal Aide and Legislative Counsel to the
Commandant. Later he served as director of the Marine Corps Development Center at
Quantico,
Virginia; as assistant division commander,
3rd Marine Division, in
Japan; and as assistant to the force commander, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. In October 1954, he was named
Inspector General of the Marine Corps, and held this post at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, for thirteen months. The general served next as commanding general,
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, from December 1, 1955, until May 11, 1956, and then as commanding general,
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island,
South Carolina, from May 12, 1956, until March 15, 1957, when he returned to Korea. There, he served as senior member of the
United Nations Command component of the Military Armistice Commission, negotiating with the Communists at
Panmunjom. On his return from Korea, he was assigned his last tour of duty at
Headquarters Marine Corps on December 7, 1957, as Inspector General of the Marine Corps, serving in this capacity until his retirement on May 31, 1959. General Litzenberg completed the following service schools: Marine Corps
Basic School, 1925; Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, 1933; Command and General Staff School,
Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, 1938; and the National War College, 1949. His various ranks and the dates on which he was promoted are: • second lieutenant, February 1925 • first lieutenant, March 1931 • captain, March 1936 • major, June 1940 • lieutenant colonel, May 1942 • colonel, May 1944 • brigadier general, July 1, 1951 • major general, July 1, 1954 (date of rank: July 1, 1951) • lieutenant general on the retired list, May 31, 1959. Litzenberg died of cancer on June 27, 1963, and is buried at
Arlington National Cemetery. There is a suite named in his honor at the bachelor officer quarters at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. ==Awards==