POWERGRAMS

9 Reaching back to memories of a life well-lived, Wendell Wendell McLain McLain is thankful for his family, Alabama Power and the opportunity to serve his country. As an 18-year-old, McLain never dreamed the Army draft would change the course of his life. In 1967, McLain was working in Power Delivery Line Construction as a groundman. A graduate of Mellow Valley High School in Cragford, he was happy to travel the state in what would eventually become a Transmission roving crew. A year later, he was drafted. "I spent two years in the Army, 18 months of it in Germany as a paratrooper," said McLain, who was promoted to sergeant and led 12 soldiers as a squad leader. "You learn to look after yourself and you get real leadership value. You learn how to get along with people. I found out I loved the Army." Afterward, McLain returned to civilian life and Alabama Power. He used the GI Bill to earn an associate degree at Southern Union College, then earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at Jacksonville State. Nine years following his tour of duty, McLain joined the Alabama Army National Guard with the HHC 167th Infantry Battalion in Talladega. With a college degree under his belt, he attended officer candidate school at the Alabama Military Academy. In 1990, McLain, who was a captain, accompanied the 24th Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. Deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he served nine months as a transportation liaison officer, hauling soldiers, vehicles and supplies. The plains of Basra, Iraq, were the site of the biggest tank battle since World War II. On Feb. 24, 1990, 30 minutes before his unit moved into Iraq, McLain wrote to his wife, Judi: "We are making history and I am proud to be a part of it." "I was in Saudi Arabia and went into Iraq during the ground war," McLain said. "It was a logistical nightmare moving equipment and people over thousands of miles. The fighting was so fast – it only lasted 100 hours. Once Kuwait was liberated, we were no longer needed and returned to Saudi Arabia. Our units stayed there until we got on a flight manifest to come home." McLain will never forget seeing the bodies of enemy fighters. "The Iraqis who were left were trying to surrender with white flags tied to their weapons," he said. A plaque in the Corporate Headquarters atrium pays tribute to McLain and more than 60 other employees who served during Desert Storm. Alabama Power's support never wavered Serving in the ground war in Iraq further cemented McLain's loyalty to the military. "I felt the real support of Alabama Power and my co-workers," McLain said. He knew many people who left the military because they feared losing a job. Veterans comprise about 15% of Southern Company's workforce. "I was never forced to choose between my country and my company," McLain said. "You just don't know until you're around other people what a great company we have. Nobody I ever served with was treated as well as employees at Alabama Power. I can't say enough. "Judi was a division Accounting employee in Montgomery, and people always came around and checked on her," he said. With Alabama Power's support, McLain attended War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1999 and 2000. "The company was always good to me when I had to go to school or to deploy. They put someone in your place until you get back," said McLain, who was manager of the Ashland Business Office at that time. "You really don't need to be worried about your job when you're in harm's way." During War College, McLain was among a group of 15 leaders of the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force who visited Italy, Croatia and Slovenia to study those governments and work McLain became a brigadier general. McLain served country, company for decades in Army and National Guard

• Cover