Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Houma, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I received Roland Mitchell's name from Amy Whipple and Daryl Eshete at the library back in July. He has been on the contact list since then. I stopped by the main branch library to talk to Daryl and asked about Roland again as I hadn't met any other helicopter pilots. I called Roland and told him about the project and he was eager to help in any way he could. He told me that he had been in the army for over 20 years as a helicopter pilot and then was in the oil and gas industry for over 20 years as well. He mentioned on the phone that he'd flown in Vietnam, and when I interviewed him, his army story turned out to be as interesting as his time in the oil and gas industry. He is a tall man with a shiny bald head and talks very fast at times. His wife sat in for the entire interview and added bits and pieces that she thought were important. Roland has a cough that he and his wife attribute to Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. He is a jolly fellow who has a sharp memory both of his army days as well as his days flying crews and supplies.

Roland was born in Cameron, Texas in 1936. He began working for Dow Chemical as a day laborer and, in 1954, went into the Army. He was a Green Beret and did three separate tours of duty in Vietnam. He worked for Petroleum Helicopters for 22 years as a pilot in the oil and gas industry, beginning in 1976. He retired in 1999, never having "broken" a helicopter or been in an accident. He attributes his flawless record to his careful approach to flying. When I asked him how he maintained such a flawless record he said that he was careful, "because the more careful you were the longer you were likely to be around."