Medal of Honor recipient Walter C. Wetzel (June 7, 1919 – April 3, 1945) was born in Huntington. In July 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in Detroit, Michigan, where his family had moved to find work during the Great Depression. During his early service, he trained in South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, and New Jersey.

In December 1943, Wetzel’s unit arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where they prepared for the Normandy Invasion. On July 4, 1944, nearly a month after the initial invasion, he and his comrades landed on Utah Beach in France. Just five days later, they saw their first major combat, clearing German soldiers from La Hayne du Puits and capturing about 100 prisoners. His unit later fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, including the Siege of Brest and the Battle of Hürtgen Forest.

After crossing the Roer River into Germany on February 23, 1945, Wetzel and his unit continued pushing forward. In the early hours of April 3, 1945, while Wetzel was standing guard at his unit’s command post in Birken, Germany, enemy soldiers suddenly attacked with automatic gunfire and threw two live grenades into the building. Without hesitation, Wetzel threw himself on both grenades to protect his fellow soldiers. His brave action saved their lives, though he was killed instantly.

For his extraordinary courage and sacrifice, President Harry S. Truman posthumously awarded Walter C. Wetzel the Medal of Honor on February 26, 1946.

He is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery near Margraten, and his Medal of Honor is displayed in the Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth, Michigan.