POWERGRAMS

5 At left, fuzzy VHS tape recordings capture scenes from the Army TV commercials featuring Smothers. At right, the film crew with Smothers and fellow soldiers in Rothenberg. you in this Army commercial on TV.' But it was not until 10 years later that I got a copy of it," he said. A world away from Alabama Smothers said the biggest shock when he arrived in Germany was the extremely cold winters, which were unlike anything he had experienced back home in Alabama. The temperatures often dropped into the teens and the snow piled to more than 1 foot. "They had one of those '50- year' winter storms my first year there," said Smothers. "I remember they had to shut down the Autobahn. But just because it was cold and snowing, the training didn't stop." When he was not in the field training, Smothers toured Germany and surrounding countries. Along with traveling to London and Paris, he visited various well- known German sites, such as Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the structures that inspired Walt Disney's creation of Cinderella's Castle, and Dachau, the first concentration camp built by German Nazis during World War II. His most moving memory, Smothers said, took place during his flight home after serving for 32 months overseas. "When I flew home, it was the Fourth of July," Smothers said. "The stewardess came over the intercom and said, 'You've just entered U.S. airspace.' Somebody on the plane started singing, 'God Bless America,' and then, everybody started singing. I don't think there was a dry eye on the plane. It sent chills up my spine." Back home After returning home in 1981, Smothers worked for a short time in Jasper as a surveyor at two local companies, Perc Engineering and Matthew and Hyre Engineering. Then, in 1983, he landed a job at Alabama Power as a laborer at Gorgas Steam Plant. Except for six months at Miller Steam Plant, Smothers has worked at Gorgas throughout his 39-year career, moving up the ranks in Operations until taking the reins as the department's team leader. "I learned to be a leader in the military, which has prepared me for my leadership role now," Smothers said. "I learned patience, problem-solving and how to interact with different people in different situations." Gorgas hosts an annual celebration recognizing employees who have served in the military. For the past few years, except during the pandemic, Smothers has coordinated the event, which takes place before Veterans Day. "When I was in Germany, I realized the seriousness of it," Smothers said. "We were over there for a reason. It wasn't just to have a good time. We were there holding the line for the United States in case war broke out between Warsaw Pact and NATO members." By Carla Davis Smothers in West Germany. Field artillery training.

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