AEP honors its veterans on November 11

Honoring World War II U.S. Army veteran Fred Koehler (center) are Chuck George, Cardinal Plant manager (left) and Steve Koehler, maintenance planner.

AEP employees and retirees were honored for their military service November 11 as Veterans Day commemorations were held across the AEP System. At various locations, veterans enjoyed food and refreshments, received  letters of appreciation from AEP Chairman, President and CEO Nick Akins, recognition pins, coffee travel mugs, and information about the AEP Military Veteran Employee Resource Group. Here’s a look at some of the events that honored our veterans.

AEP Headquarters

About 70 military veteran employees enjoyed a breakfast buffet in the 1 Riverside Plaza cafeteria November 11 featuring presentation of the colors by a U.S. Navy honor guard from the Navy Operational Support Center in Columbus, Ohio. Scott Smith, senior vice president – Transmission, and Trevor Sthultz, energy coordinator I, expressed their appreciation to military veterans, noted AEP’s enhancement of its military leave pay policy, and encouraged employees to become members in the AEP Military Veterans Employee Resource Group. Smith is an executive sponsor of the MVERG and Sthultz is co-chair of the group.

AEP River Operations

AEP River Operations held an event to recognize its employee military veterans at its Chesterfield, Mo., office. Employees recognized at the office were Mike Brashier and Dave Guyton (Navy), Nick Prehm and  Bill Johnson (Army).

AEP Texas

The AEP Texas Veterans Day Celebration was held November 11 with refreshments served at the Corpus Christi home office.

Appalachian Power

Amos Plant — Employee military veterans at John Amos Plant in Winfield, W.Va., wanted to do something special to “pay it forward” for Veterans Day. Dave Wickline, Amos Plant manager, Chuck Mathews, senior HR consultant, and Jim Bays, energy production supervisor, visited the Veterans Home in Huntington, W.Va., November 12. The trio took three veterans and some of the staff out to lunch and presented them with a check. Mathews and Bays are veterans. A lunch was held November 14 at the plant to recognize all Amos veterans with coffee mugs, pins and appreciation letters, with Wickline and the plant management team present.

Beckley – Employees in Beckley and Hico, W.Va., attended a Veterans Recognition Breakfast at the Beckley Service Center Auditorium to recognize and honor local employee military veterans. A short recognition ceremony was held and biscuits were served.

Christiansburg — The Christiansburg District Recognition Team hosted a lunch November 11 for all AEP veteran employees who work in the Christiansburg District, regardless of their business unit, at the Pulaski Service Center, Pulaski, Va. Veterans from Transmission, Generation, Distribution and other supporting organizations were invited to attend.

Fieldale, Lynchburg, Rocky Mount — Employee military veterans were recognized at the Lynchburg Service Center in Lynchburg, Va., with a breakfast and a presentation thanking them for their service. The Rocky Mount and Fieldale service centers in Virginia also held breakfast celebrations for veterans.

Huntington and Hurricane — Employees gathered for a breakfast at the Huntington District Service Center in Huntington, W.Va. At the Hurricane Customer Operations Center in Hurricane, W.Va., a large banner was displayed with photos and names of employees who are military veterans.

Mountaineer Plant and Sporn Plant — Military veteran employees at Mountaineer Plant and Sporn Plant, both located in New Haven, W.Va., assembled in the Mountaineer cafeteria November 11 to be recognized by plant management. Veterans received recognition pins, letters of appreciation and Lowe’s gift cards.

Roanoke – Employees gathered at the Roanoke Service Center in Roanoke, Va., for a Veterans Day celebration. Veterans who were present included Gerald Swanson and Scott Deaner of Roanoke, as well as Dan Fields, a network mechanic from North Charleston.  The program, prepared by Robbie Pierce, included a video with the history of Veterans Day, a speech by Ronald Reagan commending our service men and women and a commemoration of D-Day.  Four veterans could not attend: Tony Wiseman, Luke Mason, Todd All and Les Okes. The John W. Vaughn Center in Roanoke recognized veterans with a cake celebration and a thank you card signed by all employees of their business unit.

Cardinal Plant

Cardinal Plant, in Brilliant, Ohio, held a Veterans Day celebration luncheon to honor the 37 plant veterans, three Regional Service Organization home-based veterans, and several contractor veterans as well. Fred Koehler, father of Steve Koehler, Cardinal Plant maintenance planner, was the guest of honor. Fred is a World War II U.S. Army veteran who served with G Company, 11th Infantry, and fought on the European front, being involved shortly after D-Day (June 6, 1944).  He was part of the Battle of the Bulge and served in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and the Northern Apennines. Fred shared some of his experiences with the group of veterans including excerpts from the speech General George S. Patton delivered to the troops just prior to their departure from a base in Ireland.

Gavin Plant

Gavin Plant, in Cheshire, Ohio, recognized its military veteran employees with a card of appreciation signed by Plant Manager Dave Hoffman and a restaurant gift card that can be used anytime by the employee, presented to each military veteran employee.

Indiana Michigan Power

Cook Nuclear Plant — D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant, in Bridgman, Mich., honored its 365 military veteran employees with a listing of each of their names in the plant’s Daily Plan-It newsletter on November 11.

Fort Wayne — Indiana Michigan Power invited all I&M employees to a reception November 11 at One Summit Square to honor military veteran employees, with cake and punch served.

Tanners Creek Plant — Employees and retirees met at Tanners Creek Plant in Lawrenceburg, Ind., for a Veterans Day Luncheon November 11. The plant’s retired military veterans were invited to come in and have lunch with employees. P.G. Gentrup, a Tanners Creek retiree and military veteran, spoke to the group. Gentrup brought with him Brett Bondurant, a local veteran who lost both legs at the age of 19 in Afghanistan, and his grandfather, Jerry Bondurant.

Kentucky Power

Ashland — Kentucky Power recognized employee military veterans in a morning breakfast meeting November 11 at the Ashland Service Center, Ashland, Ky. Employees enjoyed fruit, danish, donuts, juice and coffee.

Big Sandy Plant — Big Sandy Plant’s 12th Annual Veterans Day Celebration was held at the plant in Louisa, Ky., on November 11. Approximately 23 veterans were in attendance. Students from Louisa Elementary School were on hand to play recorders and sing patriotic songs. Refreshments were served and each veteran received a gift.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma employee veterans gathered for a group photo Nov. 11 at PSO’s Tulsa offices.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) has honored a number of employee military veterans with photos and profiles in the Inside PSO news blog, including Gary Knight, vice president – PSO Generation; Rick Nelson, technician – IT Support, McAlester; Brian Daly, general servicer, Elk City; Mike Hixson, manager – Community Affairs, Weatherford; and Erik Scott, manager – Comanche Station, Lawton. Nearly 200 PSO employees are military veterans; Knight is co-chair of the AEP Military Veteran Employee Resource Group (MVERG).

A Veterans Day program was held November 11 in the Braves Council Room at the PSO General Office in Tulsa, including breakfast, presentation of the colors by the Central High School Navy Junior ROTC, patriotic songs by Central High School’s ensemble, a veterans’ group photo, and insights on military service.

The event was followed by the annual Tulsa Veterans Day Parade. PSO was represented in the parade by military veteran employees who walked alongside a line truck. PSO power plants and service centers also held local recognition events.

Southwestern Electric Power Company

Texarkana MRO — The Texarkana Meter Revenue Operations group recognized local veterans with a special breakfast and presented them a letter from Nick Akins thanking them for their dedication and service to our country. SWEPCO veterans included Kameron Smith (Army), and Ricky Wright (Air Force) from Supply Chain; and Edward Forsaith (Navy), Benzel Shivers (Army and Navy), Michael Hopkins (Army), and Howard Brewer (Navy), all from MRO in Texarkana.

Welsh Power Plant — Welsh Power Plant, in Pittsburg, Texas, celebrated with a pancakes and eggs breakfast for about a dozen attendees, prepared by cooks Kenny McGill and Rick Wiltse. Alice Cogburn, Vickie Glenn and Michelle Morris assisted with serving the meal. Bo Harris, energy production superintendent, thanked employees for their service and handed out veterans pins and mugs.