David Wechsler '60: Thank You for Your Service

There are a lot of things to look forward to during Cornell’s dual against Army West Point on January 16th in Ithaca.

The first home dual of the season for the Big Red. The return of Cornell NCAA Champion Troy Nickerson, who is now the head coach of the Black Knights. Nationally ranked battles on the mat. Military Appreciation Day.

David Wechsler ’60 has another highlight in mind. “When I meet with Cornell wrestlers, I always request that they stand straight and calm during the playing of the National Anthem,” he said. “At the coming dual with Army, I look forward to seeing both teams standing tall, not moving, and showing respect for our Nation”.

Wechsler, a former Big Red wrestler and generous supporter of the program, has been involved in the Military Appreciation Day planning. He attended Cornell on a full Navy ROTC scholarship and, after graduation, served his active duty on the heavy cruiser, USS Newport News, including during the Cuban Missile Crises which took place in October of 1962. Wechsler was one of three qualified Officers-of-the-Deck of this ship which was the floating command vessel for the US 2nd Fleet, under Vice Admiral Alfred Ward. 183 US ships were deployed.

When his ship departed the Naval Port of Norfolk, Wechsler commented, “We were all awaiting a confrontation with a convoy of 16 Russian merchant ships, which had loaded out of Eastern European ports along the Baltic Sea. They were all headed for Cuba. Militarily, we knew of nine Soviet submarines either in the Caribbean or guarding the convoy.”

“On the ship’s 4th Deck Bridge, we read every message as the fleet stormed toward a confrontation south of Bermuda," he continued. "About an hour and a half before serious friction would occur, President Kennedy and Khrushchev made their tradeoff. We sent the ships with the pyrotechnics back to Eastern Europe. During the next phase, we escorted the ships taking the missiles out of Cuba, returning them to Russia.”

The Navy awarded Wechsler a bronze star for being in harm’s way, “one torpedo away from smithereens”. After 12 years of service, he retired from the military as a full lieutenant.

Wechsler earned an MBA at the Harvard Business School and, at graduation, married Louise, a veterinarian who speaks four languages. They moved outside of the US and began a career which he describes as, “turnarounds of industrial international companies that were producing losses.” He estimates that he has executed turnarounds of 10 different kinds of industries over the years.

The Wechslers’ daughter, Elena, earned both a Cornell BA and a Cornell Medical degree. David currently is the owner and president of Maritime International, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. This company provides portside cold storage and warehousing for the international food chain; another segment is involved with the logistics in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind turbines.

Wechsler, who spoke for this article while “in the middle of the Yucatan jungle” in Mexico, is showing no signs of settling down. “I’ve been able to enjoy international business and its challenges so much that I have no retirement plans”.

He is awaiting mid-January in Ithaca with excitement and a deep pride in Cornell. “I always enjoy the quality and deportment of Cornell wrestlers," he said. “I also want to make sure that we treat the Army West Point team better than anywhere else in the country. I hope that we can share some of the depth of our military history and its impact at Cornell University.”

Thank you for your service, David Wechsler! We look forward to thanking you and others for their service on January 16th.