During World War II, Wachtler fought in the Philippines, receiving the Purple Heart for being wounded in battle. After recovering, he rejoined his unit in Japan, performing occupation duties until being deactivated.
He returned to USC in 1946 to captain the track team and meet his wife Bernice Hage in a history class. Wachtler's son (1980) and granddaughter (2010) also earned their degrees from USC, making it three generations of Trojans and counting.
