Van Ladder Racks

Westbrook: Fred Clement made his living working in the oil patch

Though he was a wannabe cowboy, Fred Clement found his calling in the oil industry.

“I found out right quick that I couldn’t feed my kids and make the rodeos, and I went back to the oil field,” he remembers.

More than anything, he wanted to make a living for his family.

Now, Clement lives in Lamesa with Freida, his wife of 53 years.

Then, he had begun working as an oil-field roustabout at 14. In the early 1950s, he was helping prepare drilling rigs for transport to the next test site. He remembers being obliged to Bill Britt, who had an oil drilling business and gave him work to do.

Clement, it is certain, wanted to make a living.

“I would go down there on the weekend, and he would say, ‘Get on the truck, boy.’ ”

That meant he could work.

“If you wanted to work, that old man would help you.”

Clement did want to work, even in his early teenage years.

“I would go out there and move the pipe racks and the drill pipe, and all that stuff — just a kid, you know — and get it ready to move. Then they would come out the next day and move the rig, and I would help them move it.”

It was the beginning he needed.

“Me and Freida got married when we were 18 years old, and every day looked like a good day, you know, that it never would end.”

He recalls, “I tried ranching, and I tried farming — a little bit of everything. And one day I said, ‘Well, I got to do something.’ So I went back to the oil field, and had a chance to go overseas.

“I wanted my boys to see more of the world than I did,” he said of sons Kelley, Keenan and Kevin.

“I knew New Mexico and Oklahoma — I just drove through them. One day I told Freida, ‘I’m going overseas, and if you want to go with me, you better get packed.’ ”

Freida remembers that pivotal moment with a smile and a laugh: “That’s exactly what he said.”

Clement still remembers her support. “I knew what she was going to say. She took care of me. Mama and her prayed for me, and I think that’s the only thing that got me through.”

He left for Pakistan in October 1973, and Freida and their children followed on Christmas Day.

With his inherent problem-solving abilities and drive to work, Clement had already reached the position of driller, which has responsibility for a crew of oil-rig roughnecks.

“I was sick that whole 90 days — quit every day. The brackish water was terrible — I was sick all the time. Finally, I started getting immune to it, and got my strength back.

Taskmaster Van Ladder Racks For | Aluminum Ladder Racks

Sportsman Series Folding Cargo Carrier with steel construction 400 pounds capacity with easy fold locking into any 2 inch receiver hitch. Overall size 60 inches x 41 inches x 6 inches. Durable steel construction. 500 pounds load capacity Keeps bed free for bulky cargo 2 inch tubular steel Heavy duty 1/4 inches x14 inches foot plates spread load along truck bed rail Use as a single front-mounted rack to support long items in the bed . Easily folds upright and locks into position. ...  
Top #2 HITCH MOUNTED CARGO CARRIER WITH WHEELS & TRAILER JACK(%REMOVABLE&LIFTABLE-CARGO-CARRIER)
Platform Size: 50" L x 20" W Load Weight Capacity: 500lb with class III receiver including carrier weight. REMOVABLE&LIFTABLE-CARGO-CARRIER Condition: Brand New 500 lb. States only. Capacity; Built-in jack and 5" rubber wheels Heavy Duty Steel Construction, able to hold over-sized cargo Usable size 50" x 20" Mesh bottom and 3" side rails to better secure cargo Rust-resistant powder coat finish Platform Size: 50" L x 20" W Load Weight Capacity: 500lb with class III receiver including ca...
Top #3 Amer-Rac Heavy Duty Van Ladder Racks For Full-Size Vans: 1996
Capacity); a third crossrail should be used for short loads or when extra support is needed. Adjustable tie-down loops on crossrails help secure cargo. Extra-thick white powder-coat crossrails. A. Includes galvanized mounting hardware and instructions. -wide side plates and mounts to van rain gutters with drill-free installation. Shipped in pairs (600-lb. Load Capacity (lbs. S. 10-gauge steel rack has 6in. U. Handles a 600- to 1000-lb load (depending on number of crossrails). Amer-Rac Ladder Rac...

While I’m enquired for the differences concerning fiction as well as nonfiction, I actually frequently find average joe attempting to respond to this particular simultaneously impossible along with distinct challenge by way of rattling regarding pertaining to “Huckleberry Finn.

23 Days of Terror, The Compelling True Story of the Hunt and Capture of the Beltway Snipers

The FJ Holden, A Favourite Australian Car

Good Day in Hell

Arborist news

TV communications