Wetzel joined the Army from Roseville, Michigan in July 1941, and by April 3, 1945 was serving as a private first class in the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. On that day, in Birken, Germany, Wetzel smothered the blasts of German-thrown grenades with his body, sacrificing himself to protect those around him. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor ten months later, on February 26, 1946. Wetzel was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, the Netherlands.