Corporal Tessendorff was a member of the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 13 August 1950.

Tessendorff was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.