DICKSON CITY, Pa. — William Cadwalder from Clarks Green was arrested on October 17 and charged with theft by deception, criminal conspiracy, and more after Dickson City Police discovered he had allegedly been pretending to be a Vietnam-era veteran with two Purple Hearts.
In April of this year, investigators were tipped off by Cadwalder's longtime neighbor and former friend Harold Nudelman, a Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Navy Seabees and retired officer.
Nudelman knew Cadwalder for about 20 years. Throughout that time, he said Cadwalder was known to tout his military service. He became suspicious when Cadwalder's wife passed away last year, and Cadwalder claimed he needed to raise money to pay for her funeral expenses and his mortgage.
"That's when he did the big fundraiser, wanting actually my veteran organization. The navy Seabees and also a bunch of the neighbors to help him out," recalled Nudelman.
Nudelman thought it was strange that Cadwalder would need help fundraising since, due to his disability, he should have been receiving money monthly.
The men were both American Legion Post 665 members in Dickson City. Things did not add up for legion members when Cadwalder could never present his DD-214, a record of his service and discharge from the military.
"The American Legion here ultimately paid his membership because they thought a different legion had ripped him off, from him, scamming him," explained Nudelman.
When Nudelman did some digging and reported his suspicions to the police, investigators contacted the Lackawanna County Veterans Affairs Office. They found Cadwalder served for only a few months from 1972 to 1973 but received less than an honorable discharge; no part of his time was served overseas, and he did not receive any awards.
Investigators then discovered that Cadwalder allegedly stole the valor of his deceased brother, Preston Cadwalder, who died after his battle with leukemia in 2017. Nudleman says Cadwalder would always recall his time in Vietnam and the trauma he went through while proudly wearing two Purple Hearts that belonged to his brother.
"That's where it really hit deep because we're a neighborhood of veterans," said Nudelman.
Nudelman says almost everyone in the community has helped Cadwalder somehow, especially because he claimed to be one of them.
"Deep down, it's an offend to me, to my fellow veterans, and it should be to his own brother because he stole his brother's identity, who was a Purple Heart, double Purple Heart Vietnam veteran.
Cadwalder is in custody on $5,000 bail and awaiting a preliminary hearing.