Then & now

Airman, Sept, 2004 by Chuck Roberts

After flood waters forced them to evacuate their home and leave behind family treasures such as photos, 2nd Lt. Darcy Dowling and Master Sgt. Steve Dowling, dropped off their three daughters at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. They returned to downtown Grand Forks to fill sandbags in hopes of thwarting rising flood waters. They lost the battle, but they experienced a triumph of human spirit and teamwork that remains with now-Captain Dowling and Chief Master Sgt. Dowling seven years after the worst flood in 100 years devastated the town in April 1997.

"It was the most horrific thing I've ever seen--cars were floating down the street," said Captain Dowling, now stationed at Scott Air Force Base, III. "But it was a great experience to see people working together to help. The humanity was phenomenal."

Captain Dowling, whose 24-year Air Force career includes an enlisted stint and a career as a historian, professional military education instructor and a personnel officer, said the disaster made a lasting impact on her and her family.

"Whenever I'm feeling bad, I just have to reflect upon that," she said of the resiliency displayed by Airmen and "home-grown strong folks" of Grand Forks.

'I think it was like a wake-up call for the two oldest children. They saw people who had nothing," she said, adding that the girls helped distribute clothing and food to more than 3,000 evacuees living in base hangars and pulled sandbag duty for the 55,000 residents of Grand Forks.

The Dowlings lost about half of their possessions, but were able to save some of the family photos. Grand Forks made a full recovery.