first time reply to forum wish i could type as good as can weld . if you are in victorville do you go to work in riverside shop?or in field ? did they open a shop near you ?i worked in riverside many years ago .i first went to riverside shop sept.1955 was 10 yrs. old met mr.johnson then went to work age 18 but family moved to alaska so left after a couple of years . learned a lot while there they do a huge amount of welding i have been welding before that and eversince , but one thing i have learned is there are lots of welders and many are better than i am or will be . but if you work hard try to learn , get along,show up on time ready to work . ask for help when you need it you will do good . remember somebody else has done the same thing don't be afraid to ask . and weld to the procedure . did many welding jobs down that way in years past my dad welded in that area 1940 thru 1963
held asme certs.till his death 1983 . i was called down to weld pipeline during a shut down august of 89 ? was on my way to tulsa . they told me to change my plane and get there right away . i asked isn't there any certified welders down there they said yes california is full of unemployed welders but we want you to weld the pipe . after i agreed to come he said by the way it's 97 degrees worked almost 4 days almost around the clock. guess all those welds on equipment i did years before made them think of me.johnson gave me my start i know they are always looking for good workers . e-mail i can tell more might still know some people who are still alive down there .sorry this got so long . good luck willie

cuco , good luck on your new job . i hope you can expand your knowledge . with younger people like you doing these jobs i have confidence that i won't have to do this type work much longer . i might be able to go into a new field maybe country and western singing . in the mean time i probably better keep my day job . will e-mail you when i dig out my christmas card list , i have names of many i met while working at johnson 1963 . keep me posted on how you are doing especially while welding . willie