The doorman asked for identification. My dad showed his pension card. 'She was with me,' he said. 'Just a civilian.' I handed the doorman a card with the presidential seal on it. The scanner read 'Yankee White - first priority.' The doorman picked up the phone. 'VIP line. Now.' My dad looked at me in amazement. He spoke so calmly, as if he'd said it a thousand times before. "She's with me. Just a civilian." We were standing in the shadow of a giant American flag at the gate of a high-security ba