Alvin Ward Vogtle (October 21, 1918 – April 10, 1994) was an American lawyer, business executive and World War II fighter pilot born in Birmingham, Alabama.
[1] Immediately after graduating from the University of Alabama Law School, he enlisted in the United States Army.
[1] An Army Spitfire fighter pilot in North Africa during World War II, Vogtle flew approximately 35 combat missions until on a mission in January 1943, his aircraft ran out of fuel while taking enemy fire over Algeria.
[1] Vogtle has been suggested as one of those who inspired the POW character portrayed by Steve McQueen in the movie The Great Escape.
After the war, he was employed at Alabama Power as a legal counsel and rose through the ranks to become President and Chairman of the Board of Southern Company, one of the largest electric utility holding companies in the nation.