Hechler akabata nhevedzano yenzvimbo duku dzakagadzwa mubasa rehurumende rehurumende kutozosvikira aunganidzwa muU.S. Army mukati meHondo Yenyika II muna July, 1942. Mushure mekupedza kudzidza kubva kuArmored Force Officer Candidate Chikoro, akapiwa basa semunyori wenhoroondo yekurwa muEuropean Theater of Operations. Hechler akabatsira kurondedzera kusunungurwa kweFrance, kupinda kweNormandy muna 1944, Hondo yeBulge, uye kupinda muNazi Germany. Akanga akabatanidzwa ku9th Armored Division apo boka revashandi vakagadziriswa zvombo uye vanofamba netsoka, chikamu cheCombat Command B, zvisingatarisirwi vakatora Ludendorff Bridge
ichipfuura rwizi rweRhine mukati meHondo yeRemagen. Akabvunzurudza vose vari vaviri varwi veU.S. neGermany vakabatanidzwa panguva iyoyo. Akapiwa Bronze Star uye nyeredzi shanu dzehondo. Akadzoka kaviri pashure pehondo kuti abvunzurudze vaGermany vakanga vapinda muhondo yacho. Akawana Kaputeni Willi Bratge, mumwe wevakuru vakuru vaviri vakanga vasina kuurayiwa pamurayiro waHitler nokuti akanga abatwa, uye akapedza vhiki naye munharaunda yeRemagen achidzidza nezvemashoko ehondo yacho. Muna 1957 akabudisa bhuku rinonzi "The Bridge at Remagen: The Amazing Story of March 7, 1945" iro rakashandurwa kuva firimu muna 1969.