Buried at A.B.M.C. Netherlands
  N-18-10 

Born:  at Huntington, WV

Entered Service in the US Army from Roseville, MI

Earned The Medal of Honor During World War II For heroism April 03, 1945 at Birken, Germany

Private First Class Wetzel, an acting squad leader with an anti-tank company, was guarding his platoon's command post in a house at Birken, Germany, when he detected strong enemy forces moving in to attack. He ran into the house, alerted the occupants and immediately began defending the post against heavy automatic weapons fire coming from the hostile troops. Under cover of darkness the Germans forced their way close to the building where they hurled grenades, two of which landed in the room where Private First Class Wetzel and the others had taken up firing positions. Shouting a warning to his fellow soldiers, Private First Class Wetzel threw himself on the grenades and, as they exploded, absorbed their entire blast, suffering wounds from which he died. The supreme gallantry of Private First Class Wetzel saved his comrades from death or serious injury and made it possible for them to continue the defense of the command post and break the power of a dangerous local counterthrust by the enemy.