The son of George and Mary Wachtler, Elmer J. Wachtler was born on July 16, 1918, in Omaha, NE. Elmer – known as “El” – was the fifth of eight children. The family lived in the Gifford Park neighborhood in midtown Omaha and attended nearby St. Cecilia Cathedral.

When El was only seven years old, tragedy struck when his father passed away at the age of 40. Raised by their mother, the Wachtler boys developed a passion for baseball. El, with his brothers George, Eddie and Billy, formed a baseball family dynasty in the 1930s and 40s.

El became a standout player while attending school at Cathedral. Primarily known as a pitcher, he was an excellent all-around player. In 1935, the Omaha World-Herald rated him as the best American Legion player in Nebraska.

After high school, El starred on amateur and semi-pro baseball teams in Omaha and the surrounding area. He often teamed with one or more of his brothers, and they dreamed of playing in the Major Leagues together.

El was a dominant pitcher who threw multiple no-hit games. In 1937, he led Lyons to the Nebraska Eastern League championship. Four years later, El and his three brothers led the Storz Brewing Co. team to the Omaha Community League title. El finished the season with a 13-3 record and a .339 batting average.

When he wasn’t on a ball diamond, El worked as a truck driver for Kocher Brothers Grocery. He later worked at the Storz Brewing Co.

Baseball wasn’t El’s only love. On March 30, 1940, he married Mary Mae Hoover. They subsequently had one son, Jim, born on April 8, 1942.

Although he was busy supporting a young family, baseball was never far from El’s mind, and he began attracting the attention of professional teams. After a tryout with St. Louis Cardinals General Manager, Branch Rickey, El signed a contract in October 1941. Soon after, Billy Wachtler also had a contract with the Cardinals, and it looked like their dreams of playing big league ball together just might come true.

El pitched in the Cardinals farm system in 1942 and 1943. In 1944, he was slated to pitch for the Cardinals’ Pacific Coast League team in Sacramento. However, with World War II still raging, El enlisted in the Army on March 13, 1944.

By September 1944, PVT Elmer J. Wachtler was serving in combat with Company K of the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division. From September to November, the 134th Regiment fought across eastern France. During this time, they encountered heavy enemy resistance and 185 men were killed in action.

The Battle of the Bulge began on December 16. As the Allies and Germans fought for control of the key city of Bastogne, the 134th Regiment moved into Belgium and began a battle to seize the town of Lutrebois, less than 5 kilometers south of Bastogne. By this time, El had been in combat for four months and had been promoted to Staff Sergeant.

On January 5, 1945, intense fighting continued near Lutrebois, which included heavy enemy mortar and artillery fire. Among the U.S. casualties that day was SSG Elmer J. Wachtler. Initially reported as missing in action, SSG Wachtler was later classified as killed in action. He was 26 years old and left behind his wife and 2-year-old son. His final resting place is the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.