Eddie Babin, a native of Houma and the son of an oyster shucker, began working as a cement truck driver in 1956. This job gave him experience in cementing, which he later applied to oilfield drilling. In 1958, he went into the service, spending 13 months in Korea. Upon his return, he worked offshore on a drilling rig for awhile and his truck was often loaded onto a barge and carried to the rigs.