Eddie Gammon Inducted into USIC Hall of Fame

It was 3 a.m. when a newer technician called Eddie Gammon for help. A water main had broken in Eddie’s locate area, and the technician could not find the access points needed to locate the AT&T facilities. 

Eddie got out of bed and went to the site. 

Another colleague remembers a remarkably similar night. Faced with a difficult locate after midnight, he called Eddie knowing he would probably wake him. Eddie came out anyway, helping with traffic control and what the nominator described as a “nasty locate.” 

For Eddie, the decision was simple. 

“You don’t leave anybody hanging,” he said. “There’s a lot that could go wrong.” 

That sense of responsibility helps explain why Eddie received four separate nominations for the USIC Hall of Fame. After more than 31 years with the company, he has earned a reputation not only as an exceptional locator, but also as the person new and experienced technicians know they can call when they need help. 

Eddie joined SM&P, one of the utility locating companies that would later become part of USIC, in Overland Park, Kansas, in 1995 after finding a small help-wanted ad in the newspaper. He had spent 10 years working in lawn care and was looking for an opportunity that would help him provide for his family. 

Eddie knew nothing about utility locating when he started, but once he entered the field, the work began to make sense. The tools were considerably different then. Tickets were distributed on paper. Facility prints were stored in thick binders and on microfiche. Technicians met their supervisor at 7 a.m. each morning to collect their assignments, and 12- or 13-hour days were common. When computers arrived, Eddie completed his work at home and transmitted it to the office through a landline. 

Through every change, Eddie continued learning. He became a Master Locator and eventually a lead technician, the highest technician level a locator can achieve. When his supervisor is away, Eddie runs the crew. 

His proudest professional accomplishment is training technicians who went on to become highly skilled locators.  

“Some are even better at locating than me,” he proudly said. 

His approach to supporting others begins with respect. 

“Just talk to them like they’re people,” Eddie said. “Don’t belittle them. If they don’t understand, don’t pass judgment. Stay level and have a kind voice. No one responds well when they’re being yelled at.” 

Eddie received four nominations for the Hall of Fame award, each describing his quality and work ethic as unequaled. One wrote that contractors regularly call Eddie the best locator they have worked with. Another said that if Eddie were not inducted into the Hall of Fame, “that would be a shame.” 

Eddie is still processing the recognition. He did not realize how strongly others felt about his work until the nominations arrived. When he told his wife, he said she nearly “jumped through the phone” with excitement. 

“It was very emotional,” he said. “It means a lot, more than what I can express.” 

For Eddie, however, the achievement that matters most is the life his career allowed him to build. 

“I know my kids are proud of me,” he said. “This job made sure my family was secure. That’s what I’m most proud of.” 

After more than three decades, Eddie’s legacy can be found in the facilities he has protected, the contractors who trust him and the many technicians who are better because he answered when they called.