Interviewer: Preetam Prakash

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Mr. Heathcock had contacted Preetam after viewing the article in the Meridian Star concerning the project. They had spoken for a short while on the phone concerning his history in the offshore oil industry and had subsequently arranged to meet at his home in Quitman, MS. Mr. Heathcock had been born and raised in the nearby town of Stonewall, MS and had entered the oil industry in the late 1950s after spending some time in the Air Force and working for his father who owned a well known general store in the area at the time. He had started out working as a contract roustabout for California Oil Company, which later became Chevron Oil Company. He moved to Venice, LA in 1959 and had remained there until the 1980s. For much of his career he had worked a 5 on-5 off schedule on the supply side of the offshore industry, but also had experience working the more typical 7 on-7off schedule on the actual oil rigs. During the 1980s and 1990s Mr. Heathcock had also been involved in operating his own crew boat business. He left the offshore oil industry in the early 1990s, following a back injury. Throughout the interview, he emphasized the dramatic changes in safety which had taken place in the industry since when he had started out. He was very positive about his experiences working offshore and particularly thankful for the consistent income that working in the industry had provided. Walter had moved back to the Clarke County, MS in the mid-1980s and has lived in the area ever since then.