Private Wetherelt was a member of Service Company, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. On 10 July 1952, he was killed when the jeep he was driving overturned after hitting an embankment near Chunchon, South Korea.

Wetherelt was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.