Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Amelia, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Wallace Carline is the owner and CEO of Diamond Services Corporation, and when I interviewed Earl Hebert, a long-time employee of his, Earl said that I really should interview Wallace. He talked with Wallace about it and arranged for the interview. After a couple of attempts to get together, we managed to coordinate our schedules. I met with Wallace in his office and explained the study, and he said he would be happy to talk about his experiences. We talked for about an hour and a half, stopping a couple of times so he could answer phone calls.

Wallace Carline was born in Plaquemine, Louisiana in 1931 and moved to Morgan City as a child. He began working in the oilfield during the summers when he was still in school. He served two years in the Korean War and returned in 1953 to work for his brother in his oilfield contracting business. In 1961, he went into business for himself and continues to operate Diamond Services Corporation. His company has been involved in laying pipe, putting in foundations for drilling barges, driving pilings, and putting in platforms. In 1973, Carline went to the Amazon to perform work for most of the major oil companies that were drilling there. In the 1970s and 1980s his company's main business was dredging. In 1995, the company built its first water jet boat and now has nine of them working, three in Mexico.