Small town, deep roots

FOREST CITY, N.C. - Since Oct. 4, 2024, more than 1,500 active-duty Soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps have mobilized to assist with the Hurricane Helene response effort across western North Carolina.

Spc. Randy Stuart, a cavalry scout and western North Carolina native assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, was home in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with his wife and child when he learned Hurricane Helene had changed course. Stuart immediately contacted his family and friends in the area.

He discovered the storm had devastated the neighboring city of Chimney Rock, a place he visited often as a child. Just an hour's drive from his hometown, Forest City, the destruction felt personal. Stuart learned his parents had only lost power briefly, but Chimney Rock was nearly unrecognizable. The damage in nearby towns deepened his resolve to assist in the relief efforts.

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, destroyed dozens of properties and caused catastrophic flooding, widespread power outages and significant loss of life across the Deep South and southern Appalachia.

The 101st Airborne Division arrived in North Carolina on Oct. 5, 2024. Upon arrival, Soldiers assessed impacted cities across western North Carolina to determine where their skills could have the greatest impact. Stuart informed his company's executive officer about the ongoing community outreach efforts in Forest City. After receiving approval from his leadership, Stuart and a small team from his unit assisted with organizing and distributing donations that had begun pouring in from across the country.

Jim Splawn, a Forest City native and pastor in Huntington, Indiana, heard about the devastation in his home state and immediately contacted longtime friend Ronnie Robbins, the pastor for Village Chapel in Forest City. Together, they worked to gather supplies for relief efforts.

"I knew the surrounding areas had been devastated," said Splawn. "So we gathered donations, loaded up the trucks, and drove them down here."

The Forest City community members welcomed the 101st Airborne Division Soldiers with open arms and tear-filled eyes. Stuart and his team immediately went to work, unloading trucks and organizing each item into piles to be labeled and repackaged for distribution.

Stuart's mother, Linda, said her son's involvement in the recovery made it more meaningful.

"It means a lot," she said. "Not just that our community has support from people here, but also from those who aren't even from the area."

Forest City experienced less damage from Hurricane Helene, so Village Chapel volunteers will distribute supplies to harder-hit areas of western North Carolina in the coming week.

"It means a lot to me," said Stuart. "Seeing people we don't even know coming together to help during this time."

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