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

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I learned about Charles Miller and his work for McDermott during my interview with his daughter, Lillian (see DA124, DA125). Though Charles had been very ill, he agreed to be interviewed for this study. I met him at his home in Houma, and we sat in the living room with copies of Jaramac, the McDermott company magazine, as we talked.

Charles Miller grew up in Oklahoma, finished high school, and went to welding school. In 1960, after working in Seattle, serving in the military, and returning to faming in Oklahoma, Charles moved to Louisiana. After attending Delgado Trade School where he studied pipeline welding, he got a job with McDermott. At that time, the oilfield in southern Louisiana was really starting to boom. Charles began in the Marine Department, working inshore, in the shop, and on lay and derrick barges. He spent some time working in the swamps at the time the barges would go into the swamps to lay pipeline. As the industry expanded offshore, the platforms, pipelines, and other associated equipment got bigger, and Charles adapted to working in the Gulf. He retired and bought a small farm.