Connect Summer 2016 | Page 10

Independence Day Memories WILLIAMS’ CENTURY OF SERVICE “Our customers rely on us to deliver the energy that makes their lives move.” Kirk Edwards Operations Technician Williams In the early 1940s, virtually all petroleum consumed on the East Coast arrived via ocean tankers from Venezuela or the Gulf Coast. pipeline company to receive the Army-Navy “E” Award for “outstanding performance in wartime construction.” That is, until German submarines began sinking the tankers, destabilizing American energy supplies. “When I think of veterans and the most valued traits they bring to a company and work environment, I think of leadership, discipline, situational awareness, adaptability, and esprit de corps,” says D. R. “Bud” Rains, director of projects, Construction Management. “Most of the experiences that a veteran will gain on active duty will never be matched in the civilian world.” As World War II broke out, the United States government turned to Williams for a safer, more secure system to fuel its defense plants in the Northeast. The result — the War Emergency Pipeline systems, also known as Big Inch and Little Inch. The 24-inch diameter Big Inch, running more than 1,200 miles from Texas to New Jersey, went into service in 1943, while the 20-inch diameter Little Inch (actually a longer system by 200 miles) went into service the next year. Big Inch and Little Inch not only solidified Williams’ reputation as the world’s foremost pipeline firm, it also drew honors and accolades from U.S. military. Williams became the first 10 That commitment to service continues today, as veterans comprise about 10 percent of our workforce. Williams Operations Technician Kirk Edwards joined Williams after 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. CONNECT: A PUBLICATION FOR WILLIAMS CUSTOMERS | VOL. 4, ISSUE 1, 2016