Leon Burcalow was born in Barrett, Texas on September 23rd, 1923. He grew up in the oil field in Texas and talks about climbing all the oil derricks in his town as a kid. Leon graduated high school in 1942, and shortly after started work on a subtender and then went into service in April of 1943. After being discharged from the Army in 1945, Leon returned to the oil field, working as a roustabout and doing contract work for about three years. Then Leon was hired on by Humble/Exxon and worked for the company for thirty-one years and three months.