Here’s the story behind the spelling of Corey Comperatore’s name on his fire gear

Former President Donald Trump gave a touching tribute at the Republican National Convention to Corey Comperatore, the slain former fire chief who was killed during the assassination attempt of Trump on Saturday, July 13. Comperatore’s protective fire coat and helmet were displayed on the stage behind Trump. Trump raved about Comperatore’s bravery.

“He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets,” Trump said. “He went right over the top of them and was hit. What a fine man he was.”

Then, Trump went over to Compertore’s gear, embraced it, and kissed his helmet. He then asked everyone for a moment of silence to pay respect to Compertore. Yet, after this moment of silence, or maybe even slightly before it, people began to notice the spelling of Comperatore’s last name printed on his coat that was onstage. It was spelled as “Compertore,” seemingly missing the letter “a” in his last name. Many people - especially on social media - assumed it was an error made by Trump’s people at the RNC. They were wrong.

As an Italian American who has frequently had his last name spelled incorrectly on awards, certificates, jackets, coats, enrollment sheets, etc., I wondered which spelling was correct and who was responsible for the error. After reading numerous conflicting reports online and on social media, I called the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, the fire company that Comperatore was a member of.

When speaking to a fire company member on the phone, she clarified that the actual spelling of the last name was “Comperatore” and that the misspelling on the back of the coat was the fire department’s mistake.

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“It’s been that way for years,” the fire company member I spoke to told me.

I was not given any reason for the error, and truthfully, I did not need one. It’s a volunteer fire department in which people volunteer their time and their lives to protect their community. Mistakes happen, and if it didn’t bother Corey Comperatore, it shouldn’t bother anyone else. And it definitely shouldn’t be used as a false rumor for political gain.