Page 44 - 01_CL7_SEP20Revised2.indd

Ammie Kessem shows how things go better with Trump inside the hospitality tent at the White House, where she joined the Lodge 7 contingent at the RNC.
SURREAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43
the RNC. “Dream come true” accurately describes what trans- pired for the Chicago contingent that was eventually bolstered by the presence of Bears legend Brian Urlacher, who wore a thin blue line mask as he entered the White House grounds.
From the short rib sliders served in the hospitality tent, to the risers at the back reserved for the president’s favorite sons and daughters in law enforcement, to the emotional address from David Dorn’s widow, Ann, to a post-speech walk through the Rose Garden, the night at the White House was nothing short of surreal.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience; everything I thought it would be and more,” DiSanti exclaimed. “I was transfixed hanging on every word the president said. And it was an adrenaline rush to be able to stand up and cheer.”
DiSanti was supposed to attend the RNC when it was scheduled for Charlotte and then moved to Jacksonville be- fore having to go mostly virtual due to the pandemic. Active in community politics, he was asked to run for delegate to the Republican National Convention.
When he won, he had planned to invite Catanzara to be his guest for the final night, when Trump would again accept the Republican nomination. When National FOP President Pat Yoes invited Chicago to be part of the union’s delegation to the makeshift RNC, Catanzara put DiSanti at the top of the guest list.
Though the president didn’t come on until after 10 p.m., guests arrived shortly after 5 p.m. After going through a Secret Service screening, passing through a magnetometer and be- ing patted down, guests were given the run of the South Lawn.
DiSanti gravitated toward the other police officers in atten-
dance, feeling that the event also offered a celebration of law enforcement. Part of that was Ann Dorn’s remarks honoring her husband, retired St. Louis Captain David Dorn, who was killed trying to prevent looting during a protest.
“I’m a 53-year-old Chicago copper, and I had tears in my eyes,” DiSanti shared. “The things she was saying, I’m think- ing my wife is relating to those. I could see the same scenario in my life.”
Showcasing his red hat adorned with “Make America Great Again,” and wearing his Chicago Police star with his white shirt, blue tie with a Chicago FOP tie tack and suspenders, DiSanti posed in all his splendor in front of the podium. Ap- parently, he wanted to document the significance of being there.
“This is the most important election of my lifetime,” he de- clared. “I can’t remember a specific line from his speech that made an impact on me. It made me very proud that he under- stands and supports the job that law enforcement does.”
So what do you wear when you are invited to the White House for the RNC? Kessem was making dinner for her kids when Catanzara called to offer an invitation to join the Chica- go contingent. He thought she was deserving because Kessem is one of the few people he knows who was to put an “R” after her name and stand by it.
She packed four dresses for the overnight trip to Washing- ton, D.C., eventually setting on a red one to go with the party. She also wore a pin with an American flag on one side and thin blue line flag on the other. She even brought an extra one in case she had a chance to gift it to the president.
Seeing the white chairs and the grounds decorated in red, white and blue, Kessem said she felt like she was attending a wedding. She had anticipated security being so tight that at- tendees would need an escort even to go to the bathroom. But the aura of the night was more of a party than a political event.
“
“I truly felt as if we were the president’s guests.”
Ammie Kessem
”
44 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2020
“I truly felt as if we were the president’s guests,” Kessem commented. “It was beyond my expectations.”
Kessem reported that she brought tissues with her in an- ticipation of being overwhelmed by the experience. Her most tearful moment came when the parents of Kayla Mueller, an
A w
l
U i p o
t v w f p n A
G a
h p o
a j o f 7
C p p e e
t h t
i t