CityView Magazine

26 | May/June 2015 grandmother was presented when her husband's remains were returned home three years aer the conclusion of World War II. Christopher's great grandfather, a United States Marine who served in the Pacific, was killed during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 27, 1945. "Christopher takes the 48- Star Flag everywhere he travels and flies it each Feb- ruary 27th in honor of his great grandfather and all those whom served and bore the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. Everywhere he's gone, he's flown it," said Deborah. Among many locations, it has flown at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Drum, New York, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and Fort Bragg. e floor of the living room is covered with a sizeable and intricately woven navy area rug. "Oh, Christopher brought that back from Afghanistan in a duffel bag," Deborah laughed. Perpendicular to the living room is the bar room, which comes in especially handy when the Moretti Family entertain. e large bar is from Italy and un- der the glass of the tabletop, Christopher's challenge coins and medallions are displayed. Service coins originated as a way to prove membership to a par- ticular branch of service. Now, the coins are used as rewards for outstanding service, in recognition of special visits and for morale. Coins are usually passed in a handshake, from the right hand of the giver to the right hand of the recipient. "I don't look at this house as just our home. is is DIVARTY's home," said Deborah. "We open it up to anyone in the 82nd Airborne DIVARTY family for any function, whether it's a group of spouses meeting for coffee or a larger party." In fact, Debo- rah doesn't even have a favorite room in the home. "I love the foyer. It's where we welcome our guests," she said. Offering even more space to entertain, the back yard is exactly as expected: well used and well main- tained. e Spanish-style car garage is detached and accessible down a small ramp, and while it's a tight fit for a modern car, it was the perfect size for a Ford Model-T. Perhaps the most notable feature of the home isn't in the home, at all. e front yard is home to a can- non oriented on azimuths, which are hand-made stepping stones that signify the 82nd Airborne DIVARTY, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regi- ment's four field artillery battalions. Depending on the affiliation of the DIVARTY Paratrooper of the week, or other significant activity by a battalion, the cannon is reoriented to face the corresponding azimuth of the battalion the Paratrooper serves in. "e Paratroopers have a good time changing its direction and it's fun to see them change it," said Deborah. Home bar from Italy A collection of pint glasses and steins from the Moretti family's travels

• Cover