Police Chief Swan is Honored MVD Employee, Veteran of Labor, etc.

[Simon]

While visiting a local high school, I noticed a photo on alumni wall of fame which didn't look right. The lowest badge on a right side is Honored NKVD or MVD Employee. One of the medals is "50th Anniversary of Victory". A quick research on google resulted in a second photo and a biography, excerpt from which follows.
"Chief Swan is the recipient of such awards as ... and Veteran of Labor Medal from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; ... Medal of Excellence in Service to Russia 1 & 2 Order; ... Medal of Yuri Gagarin; and Medal Freedom of Russia. The latter was presented by President Boris Yeltsin's representative. Swan was also awarded the List of Honor by the Ministry of the Interior of Russia for saving the lives of three Russian citizens in 1993."
Any comments or ideas?

[CtahhR]

Veteran of Labour? How is he old enough to have been a veteran 20 years ago? This seems rather fishy to me... Ronald Swan doesn't sound very Soviet to me. Unless some rather impressive documentation turns up it just seems like fancy dress to me. Maybe because the Americans haven't been handing out the awards?

[desantnik]

Yes, I agree - this stinks. In his defense, however, I've been witness to well-meaning Russians unofficially giving badges, Umalotovas (if these can be "officially" given), etc., usually after the consumption of alcohol. I know an American given a Soviet Comsomol shock-worker badge merely for participating in a volleyball game in either '89 or '90.

This guy's particular choice of decorations is extremely suspicious, however.

[CtahhR]

From what I can get from one source which may be real or not is that Mr. Swan first went to Russia in either 90 or 91. How in this time frame could he be awarded 15, 20 and veteran service awards? The more I think about this the more surreal it feels to me. Wouldn't you get the Lifesaving Medal for lifesaving not the Medal For Merits To The Fatherland? and wouldn't either or both of them be numbered and researchable if real? I have also not found any reports of him in any way shape or form in Cyrillic.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by desantnik

Yes, I agree - this stinks. In his defense, however, I've been witness to well-meaning Russians unofficially giving badges, Umalotovas (if these can be "officially" given), etc., usually after the consumption of alcohol. I know an American given a Soviet Comsomol shock-worker badge merely for participating in a volleyball game in either '89 or '90.

This guy's particular choice of decorations is extremely suspicious, however.

Thank you for shedding some light. My initial reaction was that this guy is fake to the core. He graduated high school in 1963. To truly deserve his medals, he would have to have worked for decades in USSR (Veteran of Labor), be either a veteran of or defense industry worker during GPW or concentration camp survivor (50th Anniversary of Victory), have served in Soviet Armed Forces, MVD or KGB for 20 years (Irreproachable Service 1st, 2nd, 3rd classes).
While he had supposedly had such a lengthy career in USSR, we know from an online article that "After nearly three decades leading the Illinois State University Police Department, Chief Ron Swan is retiring in November." Maybe he simply fell victim to Russians who played a cruel joke on him.

[CtahhR]

Maybe the Russian Embassy in the US needs contacting so they can either "confirm" or "control" the situation.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by CtahhR

From what I can get from one source which may be real or not is that Mr. Swan first went to Russia in either 90 or 91. How in this time frame could he be awarded 15, 20 and veteran service awards? The more I think about this the more surreal it feels to me. Wouldn't you get the Lifesaving Medal for lifesaving not the Medal For Merits To The Fatherland? and wouldn't either or both of them be numbered and researchable if real? I have also not found any reports of him in any way shape or form in Cyrillic.

He couldn't have served for 20 years in Soviet power ministries AND worked at an American university PD for nearly 30 years.

[CtahhR]

Indeed. The more you think about it the more it turns into a faerietale. It is not impossible that he got a medal or medal and a badge but an entire chest? If the first time he was in the Soviet Union was 90 or 91 it's not possible to even qualify for the lowest class of service. Why would the Soviet Union allow a Chicago University Policeman join their MVD? I'm sure it wouldn't be impossible for someone at that side of the pond to track the fellow down to see what he has to say.

[CtahhR]

"Swan is the 15th recipient of the award, which was established and endowed by President Emeritus David Strand to honor a faculty or staff member whose efforts result in heightened sensitivity to diversity on campus. Swan will be honored Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Founders Day Convocation in Braden Auditorium and will receive a check and his name on the Strand Diversity Achievement Award plaque on the Wall of Fame in Bone Student Center.

Before coming to Illinois State, Swan was chief of police at Monticello and in Beverly Hills, Mo. He graduated from the Municipal Police Training Academy of St. Louis County, the Major Case Squad Training School of Greater St. Louis, The Dignitary Protection School of the U.S. Secret Service, the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, the National Institute Against Hate Crimes and Terrorism at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, Calif., the Plenary Session National Institute Against Hate Crimes and Terrorism at the New York Tolerance Center and Advanced Training School of the Anti-Defamation League in Washington D. C.

Swan was elected to the law section of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences in London, England. He received his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri, a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies/criminology from the University of the State of New York, a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a master’s degree in urban affairs from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.

Swan is the recipient of such awards as the Police Medal of Distinction from the City Council of Monticello, Illinois; Life Saving Commendation from the Jewish Employment and Vocational Services of St. Louis; Letter of Commendation from Scotland Yard; Diploma of Honor and Veteran of Labor Medal from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Law Enforcement Commendation Medal from the Sons of the American Revolution; Medal of Excellence in Service to Russia 1 & 2 Order; Distinguished Alumnus Award 1993, Hannibal-LaGrange College; Medal of Yuri Gagarin and Medal Freedom of Russia; and the List of Honor by the Ministry of the Interior of Russia for saving the lives of three Russian citizens in 1993. Swan received the Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award in the Social and Natural Science Division from Richland Community College and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Relations Award from the City of Bloomington. He is an active member of the Bloomington/Normal Branch NAACP."



That's certainly a list of achievements that you would think would be considerably better documented online if it were fact. Monticello, Secret Service, Simon Wiesenthal, Applied Science, British Academy of Forensic Sciences in London, England, 4 Degrees, etc. etc.

Stolen Valor Act anyone?

[deValcourt]

I can understand how he "acquired" the irreproachable service medals and what I'm pretty sure is a VLKSM badge, and even the RF medals all scattered about in no particular order (which says something in itself), but I draw the line at the honored MVD employee badge. There is no way a non-soviet citizen legitimately earned that badge (or technically any of the other awards) so that's that. He either bought them or was given them in jest.

I would like to see a closeup of the MVD badge to see if it is just another of the many cheap copies that he probably wouldn't know was fake since some look rather convincing to those not in the know.

He's either in on the scam and thinks no one in the US will know any better or he is the victim of some drunken sense of humor. Maybe they also drew up the award documents at the same time - I have enough blank ones to make something look real enough to most Americans (though I don't have the necessary stamps).

What I find oddest about the whole thing is that an American police chief would want to have these kinds of awards other than one for saving lives. If that one was properly earned, the rest might have been good-natured "fun" from the members of the presentation party, just as Paul said above. Again, Swan wouldn't know any better.

Phillip