Worked 45 years as a underground coal miner. You will never find a better group of men to work around. No matter what you had going on, they always had your back. Been retired for 3 years and still miss them ol boys.
My Grand Dad, Dad and older brother were all coal miners back in Rachel West Virginia. They worked hard to see that I never had to work in the coal mines. Love and miss them so much.
My whole family grew up in the Beckley area, i grew up in Chapmanville moved to NC in 98. My whole childhood at least once a year, someone I went to school with would either loose their dad or would nearly loose their dad to a mining accident.
I have worked in a coal mine for 22 years and love it. There are some great hard working people who work here with me too. The sad part is that politicians have vilified us and what we do.
My great grandfather died from black lung after working coal in Elkins, WV. My grandfather hitchhiked to Texas when he was 13 to seek out a better life for himself and his future family. Forever thankful for that decision he made over 60 years ago
My grandpa was in Normandy in WW2, came back home to Morgantown, WV and worked in a coal mine for 30+ years. One of his sons just retired from being a coal miner. The amount of respect I have for people that risk their lives for this type of work is infinitely high. So awesome seeing him wearing a Morgantown, WV hat
My Dad worked in underground coal mines most of his life. He took me down into one as a twelve year old. Pretty intense environment to say the least. Saw the miner with the big teeth working, the hydro monitor and we eventually exited the mine on the conveyor belt, a massive no-no I assume but it was the a quick way out of the mine at shifts end. He is sadly trapped for eternity in the Pike River Mine in NZ with 28 other poor souls. It’s a hard knock life, that’s for sure.
Same with chemical refineries for me. No mines here but Generations of men before me paved the way. Similar grueling blue collar work. Spent some time out there... enough to finish college.
@timedwards8171 my grandpa died, they couldn't believe he wasn't a Smoker. Lungs were black, never smoked. Hear the same about OG coal miners. HAHA! Yeah. Super privileged 👌
@@timedwards8171 so the narrative goes, my grandpa worked long hours on a dock and then fought in WW2, seeing his friends die in the process. so much for privelege
@@ABagOfLag White privilege doesn't exist. Our ancestors didn't get anything handed to them, they worked for what we've now got. It would be wise for those proclaiming white privilege to understand this, maybe they can change the future for their descendants.
I got a cousin who works in a mine, one days some trucks were back up and he got pinned between them. There was so much pressure being put on his knee it literally exploded and he was bleeding out in shock trying to keep calm so no one else would flip out and wrapped his leg with his shirt. Applied pressure and appearently thats what saved his life was keeping his calm, he says if he didn't keep his calm he wouldn't of been able to wrap his leg up & probably would of bleed out before the helicopter got there because he had to be air lifted out.
Luckily, I have the same disposition of not freaking out when bad shit goes down, every time it happened. As I look back it seems like I was and my memories are surreally calm as I did what was necessary. I don't know exactly why I am like that but I think it was because I grew up poor in the north with my great grandparents, as my parents worked our way out of poverty. How that is related is we were not far from starvation underlying life but my great grandparents (born in the 1800s) had a way of living on their farm that assured survival if you followed through. It's hard to explain.
My Daddy worked in 28” coal. He said you had to eat lunch on your side. My Papaw worked as an electrician in the mines, Uncles & Great uncles all made their living in there too. Some of the hardest working men ever. I’m thankful for all those men who made this country the great place it is. Proud Logan county, WV resident. 💙💛 Mine wars were a big part of labor movement.
My Dad did the same. He had hands of leather. I was the first man in our family not to go down the mines. My Dad never forgot his 17 years on the coal face. He had some crazy stories. This made him and his pals real hard men.
My respect for your father. Jobs/careers and sacrifices we forget that exist. Your father and those miners make America. Being born and raised in Los Angeles we don't think of miners, oil refineries yeah here and there.
I've mined coal for 23 yrs. I've worked in mines that were 27 inches high and mines that are 16 feet high. Born and raised in Eastern KY . I've worked in KY WV Illinois and Indiana. Most ppl don't know the life of a coal miner and what we would do for our families. Which is why we do what we do.
I'm a fourth generation coal miner myself. I spent a few years on the mines before joining the Air Force. Everything I do today is informed by my experiences as a coal miner. I prefer data mining today as a cyber engineer, but certainly coal mining gave me an appreciation for all the generations in my family before me and what they went through to scrape out a living for us.
My dad just retired after 45 years underground. That's what I do now for work. I was a longwall shieldman for a few years, and now I do outby work at a room and pillar. If Rogan ever wanted to know how things used to be "in the old days" and how it's changed to today, my dad is the dude to talk to.
I worked in the mines for 9 years. Started right after high school. Worked 2006-2015. It was hard work but it also taught me to appreciate the job I have now. Teaches you what hard work is.
My brother works in a coal mine and says they sleep a lot down there and it’s easy work. I was going to join him but didn’t want to live around hillbillies
My father was buried in a coal mine accident and now lives in pain. He became part of the opoid epidemic that targeted miners from the 90s and was also conned into taking a settlement deal which made our lives very difficult.
Like many others in here, my grandpa was a coal miner in the beautiful state of WV. Absolutely loved it. Mom’s side of the family has deep routes in WV, out in the middle of absolute nowhere. Spent the best 5 years of my life in Morgantown. Go Mountaineers!
There's a coal mine that's been on fire since 1983 in Centralia PA. I've been there. You smell it all day & smoke comes out of the ground in different spots. Its a never ending burn that they can't figure out how to extinguish. Its out by Bloomsburg college. Centralia turned from a booming coal mine town to a ghost town almost overnight.
Burning since at least 1962, not 1983. Today.. it’s hard to find to notice any smell, or steam/smoke coming out.and it’s not out by bloom college…it’s about 25 minutes south of Bloom..
My granddad worked in a coalmine for 13 years, everyday for 12 hours, 3300 feet beneath the ground. Now he has still charcoal etched in his lungs. Still happy he is here though, those were real working men.🙏
My granddad did 20+years, died in his 60s of a coal lung disease. Have a old black and white photo of him down deep in the mine. Told me many story's of it, sounded absolutely horrendous.
In case you were wondering: October Sky is based on the lives of four young men who grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia. Principal photography took place in rural East Tennessee, including Oliver Springs, Harriman and Kingston in Morgan and Roane counties. The film was a moderate box office success and received very positive critical reception; it continues to be celebrated in the regions of its setting and filming.
Great movie. I grew up around farmers in rural TN. These ppl keep our civilization moving but they are vilified now. Shame. I'm a factory worker and the politicians In cities and college young ones look down at us. They caused trump as they scream at the sky about him. They just needed to not forget us
My cousin, my grandfather and my great-grandfather worked in coal mines in southeast Ohio. My grandfather and his brother happened to be off work the day the Millfield mine exploded. Dozens of men were killed, one of the worst mine disasters in history.
Underground miner here. Sleeping in my car watching this right now and it's below zero degrees. Looking forward to be home, but then will be back here at the mine after one day off. As an underground miner in Colorado, thank you Joe. We need recognition. I do this for my family and to support my goals. For my country, for society to improve, and for my family. Hard life, I wish others could understand a fraction.
You have to choose what you value most in life. Yes, giving your family security is a priority. But is it worth it if you never see them? I’m sure they’d rather have you there with them making memories than working OT to make sure they have their toys.
Charles "Coal miners are strong men" Joe "Do you think a coal miner could beat a chimp in a fight?" Charles "What? No. I just meant...." Joe "Jamie, pull up hairless jacked chimps so Charles can compare, please."
My cousin works in a Zinc mine in Jefferson, Tn and he used to drive a Sandvik which is a low profile dump truck and he said it's max speed is 13 MPH and it would take him 45 minutes to an hour to get to some spots in the mine going wide open throttle! It's unbelievable how huge it is and how far/deep they actually go!
@@KoopyspappyI was going to say that. 😂 Americans put ironic/ironically & sarcastic/sarcastically in every other sentence & it *never* makes sense lol
My dad has been a drag line operator at an open pit mine for 40 years and is getting ready to retire this year. Working coal is hard work. It pays well but it's hard shift work and lots of hours.
I was born in Southwestern Virginia in a coal camp. My father worked in the mines in the 40's, 50's and early sixties. I fully thought i was going to be a coal miner too, but due to strikes etc... my family had to move to Northern Virginia in 1964 on my twelfth birthday. Daddy then started working in construction and finally my parents were able to buy some land in Central Virginia where they built a house and raised hogs, chickens and a few cows. It was there dream come true and i am glad they were able to live their remaining years happy. I am also proud to be the son of a coal miner and a coal miner's wife. They were the salt of the earth. Thanks for this video. BTW, I have lots of cousins who still live in West Virginia. Not much mining being sone now and people really having it rough down there.
Coal mining is terrible. I had a friend Derek, that lost his modeling gig and went to work the mines with his Dad. He had 'the black lung' after only a day!
My great grand dad was a miner near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He died in a mine explosion. I've spent years trying to find out which mine, but no one who knows is alive. I can't find any paperwork as he didn't die in the mine, he was taken home and died at home. I am guessing the mine didn't official report it properly as he didn't die in the mine, but at home. This was the early 1900's.
My grandfather & great grandfather worked in the coal mine in Kentucky in the 50's-60's. My great grandpa was completely crushed from a collapse killed instantly and his son had to clean up his remains and get him out to have a proper burial. A few years later my grampa got crushed by a trolly to the point they thought he would die on site. He broke every rib in his body and said his eyes were hanging out of his head, fortunately he survived he's was in the hospital for a little over a month and was almost good as new after recovery. He past away 2 years ago at age 78 which ain't too bad for a miner! I respect coal miners from the stories I was told as a kid, those men are built different than ordinary people. -thanks for reading a little piece of my family's story
I was a coal miner. I worked NW colorado (20 mile), breifly Somerset County PA (Kimberly Run and Quecreek), Greene County PA (Emerald and then shortly Cumberland). I lost my job in 2015 after i got in an argument w the superintendent right when they were getting ready to lay people off. I became a nurse. Nursing is harder, I think. But the life of a coal miner is way harder.
Stories like these illuminate the contributions of the men who laid the foundations of modern society. Ironically, while they are often underappreciated, their efforts were essential to the creation and sustenance of the society that tends to look down on them.
My Grandfather was a miner at Henderson Colorado he was the last miner in my family but he came from a long line of miners, Its such hard work and so underappreciated.
After Jordan Peterson mentioned it, I read "The Road To Wigan Pier" by George Orwell. The descriptions of the lives of poor working coal miners was incredible. I happened upon a video from the 60s or 70s about a coal miner strike in WV. The mine owners were complete dangerous assholes. They threatened to kill the videographers and they filmed it as it happened.
My dad worked in the uranium mines here in New Mexico in the late 70’s. I’ll remember those stories forever. I 100% respect my fellow hard working SOB’s! In memory of the hardest working man I’ll ever know, my dad. Love you dad we will meet again!
Something not talked about is occasionally miners would go to the toilet on the conveyors, if you were unlucky you might find a turd from the previous guy working at a seam.
I'm from WV and sometimes I ride through Welch and look how it used to be and how it is now. It's sad how the state has profited from coal and then let those towns get run down after the coal was gone. Joe, you should hook up with The Untamed guys, they hunt alot down in the coal towns on old mining property and have a look down there.
Joe Rogan should start picking out a different job and interview regular people from a different place each time! A good way to give a voice to the people of this great country of ours!
I'm originally from Morgantown. My granddad was a miner in the '30s and '40s and he told me the horror stories about the mines. He became company carpenter after experiencing his third cave in. He lived in a company house and shopped at the company store. The mine companies controlled everything. Mine safety has come a long ways since his days. My dad did not work the mines, nor my uncle.
My papa recently passed away from lung cancer. He was a coal miner from age 10-19 in Martin, Kentucky (early 60s) until he was sent off to the Vietnam War where he was on the Cambodian border. theyd be attacked almost every night. He was there two years and was poisoned by Agent orange. 20 years would go by and skin cancer was rampant, he would beat that. Only for Lung cancer to get him at 72….Those mines caught up with him he said. God Bless all the Miners and Veterans….they put their livelihoods on the line for our luxuries in life. THANK YOU.
Many of my family worked in WV mines. My mom's dad was paralyzed neck down from a coal mine cave in. Think 7 kids in two bedroom home. Salt mines another one under the great lakes. Crazy stuff.
That's because a lot of you don't chase big money lol. Coal mines and the oil and gas industry was some of the most lucrative business before Democrats fucked it up. Out of highschool I was making 160k a year in the oilfield.
My gr8 grandfather did this and helped lots of families survive by getting them work doing this and steel milling, and was the pioneer of our family, what he started is still going strong today. Sadly he died of lung cancer from doing that kind of work. Maintained a full fruit n vegetable garden all year round and chicken coop. You had to be a different breed back then.
My Grandfather started working in the coal mines at 13. Got crushed at 36, broke both his hips & femurs. Cut off his own body cast 2 mos later & left WV to CA & started a tree trimming company. He climbed trees till age 82 & passed at age 87 still sporting blue knee caps from imbedded coal under his skin. Tough as they come.
Yesterday I ate 5 super-hot spicey chicken wings made with extra hot ghost peppers level 10. This morning I woke up and immediately ran to the toilet and had a massive explosive diarrhea. It stunk horrible and it actually burned my tender but hoal on the way out. Thank you for your blessings and support
McElroy Mine opened in 1969 it has changed names, but is still operating. It is located in Marshall County West Virginia. I worked there for 12 years. Just recently gave it up for a better job. The people I worked with are some of the best people I've ever known.
My dad, both grandpas, 4 or 5 uncles, many cousins and friends worked in the coal mines. There are just a few who still ave a job. After Obama and Biden, they’re almost all gone here. Just a few scattered over East KY, WVA and VA are barely going. Miles under mountains, walking and crawling around with a wheat lamp on their heads. My grandpa actually used carbide lamps when he first started in the 40s. Dangerous and bad for your health.
I work in an open pit coal mine in elkford bc canada, and people seem to forget the coal we mine now is steel making coal which is what we need for everything in everyday life, hospitals, schools, cars, houses
Hobet being mentioned on this podcast has me pretty excited because ironically if you want to know a place where the hard working, most genuine and good hearted coal miners are, it’s in this area. My husband worked underground, an underground apprentice electrician, and 80% of the men from where I am from is in that industry. Most of those men are some of the hard working, most reliant and family oriented men that you’ll ever know. Those are the stories you need and want to hear. The six day work weeks, ten to twelve hour shifts, covered in coal from head to toe that’ll show up to every practice and game in stripes, it’s their everyday attire. They are family above ground but also family underground, it’s incredible. You must air more about coal miners on your channel. Southern WV and Eastern Kentucky are the most beautiful coal fields. Go watch Coal and Dopesick, that’s the best way to introduce that lifestyle. Such a fan of this channel! Love seeing WV mentioned even if it’s brief. 🖤
An uncle and cousin worked the mines in Kentucky. My uncle started after getting out of the Army in WW2. I had the chance to go to the entrance of one. This was a taller mine at I would guess 3-4 feet tall. The machines they drove in were wild. This short but wide truck. Mad respect for these men. I wouldn't want to even go in to check it out.
I’ve been on the surface of numerous mines across West Virginia and Kentucky for work and I still can’t figure out how these underground miners get around in low coal dragging their huge balls around with them all day. Much respect to you guys. Just from being on the surface and seeing some entry’s I know I never wanna go in one!
Lotta respect for men like this 1. Oil Rig Workers 2. Underwater Welder/repair 3. Loggers 4. Deep Sea Sailors 5. Coal Minors 6. Mid west ranch hands 7. Pipeliners
It’s crazy that out of all the mines to look up pictures of Jamie pulled up pictures of Bailey coal mine. I worked there a few years ago when I was a coal miner, I worked at the dry ridge portal and was on the belt crew building and fixing the conveyor belt systems that carry all of the coal out of the mine. It’s funny to hear Joe talk about it being such a hard and tough job, I’m not saying it was easy work but it’s also not nearly as hard as he made it sound but then again he wouldn’t really know. Also I’m sure the work was much harder back when the guests father started working in the mine. I never worked in low coal where the seam was that short like dudes dad did, 26 1/2 inches is crazy, Bailey mine was probably like a 12-16 foot coal seam so it was never a tight area to have to work in. I feel like the average person would be shocked to see what it’s really like under ground in a coal mine. It’s not as primitive as most people imagine and it almost feels like you’re just in a parking garage especially in the area right at the bottom of the elevator where you start your shift. Sometimes I miss working under ground but the one thing I don’t miss is how much of an effect politics have on the job. It can get very stressful anytime there’s an election coming up because of the wrong person gets elected then you’re going to lose hours or possibly lose your job completely.
I've been to Centralia 3 times. It's pretty wild. They even had to reroute the highway around the town cause the section through town was collapsing. I've walked the old highway and walked through the neighborhoods. There's steam vents all over. You can feel the warmth and feel the moisture on your hand by the vent. People have been dumping trash there for decades, and it all just slowly cooks itself. The ground surface isn't warm to the touch, only near the vents. But there have been local collapses. I think a few people have fallen in over the years. Bodies in the cemeteries burned up, some were relocated. The entire area is really unsafe just to walk around. The last few residents were forced out only a few years back. The only thing left in the town, ironically, is an active fire station (at least it was active last time I was there).
Much of West Virginia is a forgotten place. Any time I leave the state I feel like I'm in a different world. Always happy to see someone from here getting attention.
My dad was born in Hazard Ky (Perry County) in 1924. He had his mother sign the papers so he could join the Navy at age 16. She didn't want to but her told her he did not want to work in the coal mine's so she signed them. He retired as a Chief in Nov.1961 i was born Jan.1962.
Great interview! I pass through Centralia twice a year. There are two areas of steam that still exist today. One just a few feet north of the St Ignatius Cemetery and an area of steaming cliffs just east of Centralia off of Big Mine Run Rd. I did carbon monoxide tests in both areas and no CO was recorded which means it is either residual heat or the fire is far away. There is another fire burning 2 miles east of Centralia too, just a mile west of Raven Run. It may or may not connected
My MOTHER worked in the coal mines in the 70s and early 80s, raised 8 kids bye herself. She worked in coal 30 inches, i remember mom coming home, only thing you could see was her eyes and teeth.
Yea my pap in Northern West Virginia worked in a coal mines for 40 years right after getting back from Vietnam was a head mechanic for a few of the mines up there. Now my uncle's both still do it.
Loved working in the mine in Utah. I was a shearer operator cutting 13' of coal on the longwall. I spent 18 years underground until I hurt my back in a bounce. The roof and rib came in and pounded three of us. But it was a great job!
All these comments on the incredibly intense/harsh life of a miner, but not a single one on how well spoken and wise Charles Godwin is. Truly one of the greatest working artists in the business!
![Yailin La Mas Viral, @kreizyk.official - Dale 2 (Remix) [Video Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JaYHBzgqz94/mqdefault.jpg)
Worked 45 years as a underground coal miner. You will never find a better group of men to work around. No matter what you had going on, they always had your back. Been retired for 3 years and still miss them ol boys.
I think you’ll find that any job in which your life is in danger generally creates tight knit groups of people
It’s finally completed: ruclips.net/video/HbM0cxyODpI/видео.htmlsi=80IUJtERN_aSa86F
Nobody cares
@@JoshRichardson-es6vxWrong. I do. These men did a job that most couldn’t or wouldn’t do. Show some respect.
@@JoshRichardson-es6vx bro mad at life get help
My Grand Dad, Dad and older brother were all coal miners back in Rachel West Virginia. They worked hard to see that I never had to work in the coal mines. Love and miss them so much.
My whole family grew up in the Beckley area, i grew up in Chapmanville moved to NC in 98. My whole childhood at least once a year, someone I went to school with would either loose their dad or would nearly loose their dad to a mining accident.
@@bretparker8533I live in beckley and it’s sad the area is full of drugs and violence.
It's finally completed ruclips.net/video/_Tfatf_rrS4/видео.html
assuming your brother isn't around anymore sorry for your loss.
@@HunterFraley304this country is being pushed towards annihilation from evil you’ll never understand or know exists.
I have worked in a coal mine for 22 years and love it. There are some great hard working people who work here with me too. The sad part is that politicians have vilified us and what we do.
May God send you peace, joy and love!
Thanks for what you do! My grandfather was a cool miner immigrant from Italy until he became a rancher. Haa as td working men made this country!
god is not real stop it@@kellymc6812
Which politician has vilified coal miner? can you provide an example?
How do you feel about all the promises Trump made to coal miners and your families?
As a born and raised West Virginian, I have the highest respect to all coal miners. Such incredibly hard labor. We should all appreciate them more.
Nothing is in west Virginia
@@trteeerryfse-wy2ww Meth is still there
@@trteeerryfse-wy2ww your absolutely right! So stay away. I love absolutely nothing.
@@justing6594 stay away? Yeah no problem. I ran from that piece of shit.
@@justing6594 nothing except drugs and child molestation. Have fun in West Virginia
My great grandfather died from black lung after working coal in Elkins, WV. My grandfather hitchhiked to Texas when he was 13 to seek out a better life for himself and his future family. Forever thankful for that decision he made over 60 years ago
My grandfather did the same thing from Wales. He lied and joined the UK navy at 16 fought in world war 1 then migrated to Australia
Route 92 tough!
@@LovelyLass-nb8opthat’s so cool. Our elders past story’s are underrated lol
My grandpa was in Normandy in WW2, came back home to Morgantown, WV and worked in a coal mine for 30+ years. One of his sons just retired from being a coal miner. The amount of respect I have for people that risk their lives for this type of work is infinitely high. So awesome seeing him wearing a Morgantown, WV hat
Amen....TOUCHDOWN CITY.
Being a waitress is harder
That’s awesome man, you must be proud of your grandpa! That’s a great legacy.
@ngf5077 you should write jokes for snl cause you're about as funny.. What an ignorant post.
@@batmansdad4978 try working as a waitress. It’s high pace and high stress. You would quit because it’s to hard for most people
My Dad worked in underground coal mines most of his life. He took me down into one as a twelve year old. Pretty intense environment to say the least. Saw the miner with the big teeth working, the hydro monitor and we eventually exited the mine on the conveyor belt, a massive no-no I assume but it was the a quick way out of the mine at shifts end. He is sadly trapped for eternity in the Pike River Mine in NZ with 28 other poor souls. It’s a hard knock life, that’s for sure.
Sorry to hear of your loss
I was the first male in my family that didn’t have to go underground in the coal mine , and I have the men that came before me to thank for that
Same with chemical refineries for me. No mines here but Generations of men before me paved the way. Similar grueling blue collar work. Spent some time out there... enough to finish college.
@@JAGO_Tech that’s our white privileged ancestors lol
@timedwards8171 my grandpa died, they couldn't believe he wasn't a Smoker. Lungs were black, never smoked. Hear the same about OG coal miners. HAHA! Yeah. Super privileged 👌
@@timedwards8171 so the narrative goes, my grandpa worked long hours on a dock and then fought in WW2, seeing his friends die in the process. so much for privelege
@@ABagOfLag White privilege doesn't exist. Our ancestors didn't get anything handed to them, they worked for what we've now got. It would be wise for those proclaiming white privilege to understand this, maybe they can change the future for their descendants.
I got a cousin who works in a mine, one days some trucks were back up and he got pinned between them. There was so much pressure being put on his knee it literally exploded and he was bleeding out in shock trying to keep calm so no one else would flip out and wrapped his leg with his shirt. Applied pressure and appearently thats what saved his life was keeping his calm, he says if he didn't keep his calm he wouldn't of been able to wrap his leg up & probably would of bleed out before the helicopter got there because he had to be air lifted out.
Luckily, I have the same disposition of not freaking out when bad shit goes down, every time it happened. As I look back it seems like I was and my memories are surreally calm as I did what was necessary. I don't know exactly why I am like that but I think it was because I grew up poor in the north with my great grandparents, as my parents worked our way out of poverty. How that is related is we were not far from starvation underlying life but my great grandparents (born in the 1800s) had a way of living on their farm that assured survival if you followed through. It's hard to explain.
My Daddy worked in 28” coal. He said you had to eat lunch on your side. My Papaw worked as an electrician in the mines, Uncles & Great uncles all made their living in there too. Some of the hardest working men ever. I’m thankful for all those men who made this country the great place it is. Proud Logan county, WV resident. 💙💛
Mine wars were a big part of labor movement.
My Dad did the same. He had hands of leather. I was the first man in our family not to go down the mines. My Dad never forgot his 17 years on the coal face. He had some crazy stories. This made him and his pals real hard men.
My respect for your father. Jobs/careers and sacrifices we forget that exist. Your father and those miners make America. Being born and raised in Los Angeles we don't think of miners, oil refineries yeah here and there.
I've mined coal for 23 yrs. I've worked in mines that were 27 inches high and mines that are 16 feet high. Born and raised in Eastern KY . I've worked in KY WV Illinois and Indiana. Most ppl don't know the life of a coal miner and what we would do for our families. Which is why we do what we do.
I'm a fourth generation coal miner myself. I spent a few years on the mines before joining the Air Force. Everything I do today is informed by my experiences as a coal miner. I prefer data mining today as a cyber engineer, but certainly coal mining gave me an appreciation for all the generations in my family before me and what they went through to scrape out a living for us.
My dad just retired after 45 years underground. That's what I do now for work. I was a longwall shieldman for a few years, and now I do outby work at a room and pillar. If Rogan ever wanted to know how things used to be "in the old days" and how it's changed to today, my dad is the dude to talk to.
Record your dad… so people know the real deal
Orrrr... You could record him as well so that his knowledge isn't lost to history. Doesn't have to just be joe rogan
I worked in the mines for 9 years. Started right after high school. Worked 2006-2015. It was hard work but it also taught me to appreciate the job I have now. Teaches you what hard work is.
No one is capable of understanding what these dudes go through. Mad respect
Unfortunately, most people don’t care.
@@BetaBuxDeluxliterally who tf cares
A lot of people are super capable of it. Go live
My brother works in a coal mine and says they sleep a lot down there and it’s easy work. I was going to join him but didn’t want to live around hillbillies
hey atleast you would know they werent soft liberals@@TheHarryDunne
My father was buried in a coal mine accident and now lives in pain. He became part of the opoid epidemic that targeted miners from the 90s and was also conned into taking a settlement deal which made our lives very difficult.
Can you explain how he was conned?
@mochimilan can you?
Like many others in here, my grandpa was a coal miner in the beautiful state of WV. Absolutely loved it. Mom’s side of the family has deep routes in WV, out in the middle of absolute nowhere. Spent the best 5 years of my life in Morgantown. Go Mountaineers!
There's a coal mine that's been on fire since 1983 in Centralia PA. I've been there. You smell it all day & smoke comes out of the ground in different spots. Its a never ending burn that they can't figure out how to extinguish. Its out by Bloomsburg college. Centralia turned from a booming coal mine town to a ghost town almost overnight.
Burning since at least 1962, not 1983. Today.. it’s hard to find to notice any smell, or steam/smoke coming out.and it’s not out by bloom college…it’s about 25 minutes south of Bloom..
My granddad worked in a coalmine for 13 years, everyday for 12 hours, 3300 feet beneath the ground. Now he has still charcoal etched in his lungs.
Still happy he is here though, those were real working men.🙏
My granddad did 20+years, died in his 60s of a coal lung disease. Have a old black and white photo of him down deep in the mine. Told me many story's of it, sounded absolutely horrendous.
Glad I'm not a "real working man"
@@babybluesky9238why would you be glad about that lmfao
Yeah we don't need men like you doing real men jobs. That's how America got to where it is right now falling apart @@babybluesky9238
Mine died of black lung
In case you were wondering:
October Sky is based on the lives of four young men who grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia. Principal photography took place in rural East Tennessee, including Oliver Springs, Harriman and Kingston in Morgan and Roane counties. The film was a moderate box office success and received very positive critical reception; it continues to be celebrated in the regions of its setting and filming.
Great movie. I grew up around farmers in rural TN. These ppl keep our civilization moving but they are vilified now. Shame. I'm a factory worker and the politicians In cities and college young ones look down at us. They caused trump as they scream at the sky about him. They just needed to not forget us
I remember this movie as a kid. One of the good ones. Would be worth another watch as a 38 year old.
Damn! Excited for more people to learn about Charles Wesley Godwin! One of my favorites! 🙌🏼
My cousin, my grandfather and my great-grandfather worked in coal mines in southeast Ohio. My grandfather and his brother happened to be off work the day the Millfield mine exploded. Dozens of men were killed, one of the worst mine disasters in history.
Underground miner here. Sleeping in my car watching this right now and it's below zero degrees. Looking forward to be home, but then will be back here at the mine after one day off.
As an underground miner in Colorado, thank you Joe. We need recognition. I do this for my family and to support my goals. For my country, for society to improve, and for my family.
Hard life, I wish others could understand a fraction.
What kind of employer makes their people sleep in their cars 😂😂
Be glad you even have a job, wow you're a hero who should be worshipped
Thank you for doing what you do 👏
You have to choose what you value most in life. Yes, giving your family security is a priority. But is it worth it if you never see them? I’m sure they’d rather have you there with them making memories than working OT to make sure they have their toys.
@@georgeherbertmoonwalkerbush Because of miners you have electricity
Charles "Coal miners are strong men"
Joe "Do you think a coal miner could beat a chimp in a fight?"
Charles "What? No. I just meant...."
Joe "Jamie, pull up hairless jacked chimps so Charles can compare, please."
My cousin works in a Zinc mine in Jefferson, Tn and he used to drive a Sandvik which is a low profile dump truck and he said it's max speed is 13 MPH and it would take him 45 minutes to an hour to get to some spots in the mine going wide open throttle! It's unbelievable how huge it is and how far/deep they actually go!
I knew two guys that prob worked at the same mine.....was it called Near Star
@@andyh2783 Yeah Nyrstar Coy mine! He said it's massive down there!
@PureTruth1970 yeah okay nyrstar....I'm from Ky bout two hours away from there
@@andyh2783 I'm from Kentucky also, grew up in Middlesboro!
@PureTruth1970 oh cool I'm from pike County KY
Working in a Coal Mine is unironically one of the most tiring & difficult jobs you can work.
I work on an oil rig. Same thing too.
Mans work!!!!💯💪🏾
@@KoopyspappyI was going to say that. 😂 Americans put ironic/ironically & sarcastic/sarcastically in every other sentence & it *never* makes sense lol
I'm a coal miner in Utah and I have seen coal seams from 5 feet thick to 40 feet think and mines that are 20 miles of entry
Are public tours of Utah coal mines possible?
@DeathValleyDazed ya some mines do tours but it's mostly just for family members of employees or state politicians
@@Clawson_customs Thanks for reply.
My dad has been a drag line operator at an open pit mine for 40 years and is getting ready to retire this year. Working coal is hard work. It pays well but it's hard shift work and lots of hours.
They did it in drag? Wow progressive even back then
I've been following Joe's updates on AWT77K, and it's fascinating how it might redefine our technological landscape.
I was born in Southwestern Virginia in a coal camp. My father worked in the mines in the 40's, 50's and early sixties. I fully thought i was going to be a coal miner too, but due to strikes etc... my family had to move to Northern Virginia in 1964 on my twelfth birthday. Daddy then started working in construction and finally my parents were able to buy some land in Central Virginia where they built a house and raised hogs, chickens and a few cows. It was there dream come true and i am glad they were able to live their remaining years happy. I am also proud to be the son of a coal miner and a coal miner's wife. They were the salt of the earth. Thanks for this video. BTW, I have lots of cousins who still live in West Virginia. Not much mining being sone now and people really having it rough down there.
"and she does the hardest job...she's a mother!"
Coal mining is terrible. I had a friend Derek, that lost his modeling gig and went to work the mines with his Dad. He had 'the black lung' after only a day!
Dude, I spit out my lunch reading that. Took me a second. LOL.
Mer MAN!
Freaking hilarious
Nothing compared to being a stand up comedian, hardest job there is. Only a thousand of em'!
Just listening to the description of this is getting my anxiety going. God bless these MEN!
My great grand dad was a miner near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He died in a mine explosion. I've spent years trying to find out which mine, but no one who knows is alive. I can't find any paperwork as he didn't die in the mine, he was taken home and died at home. I am guessing the mine didn't official report it properly as he didn't die in the mine, but at home. This was the early 1900's.
My grandfather & great grandfather worked in the coal mine in Kentucky in the 50's-60's. My great grandpa was completely crushed from a collapse killed instantly and his son had to clean up his remains and get him out to have a proper burial. A few years later my grampa got crushed by a trolly to the point they thought he would die on site. He broke every rib in his body and said his eyes were hanging out of his head, fortunately he survived he's was in the hospital for a little over a month and was almost good as new after recovery. He past away 2 years ago at age 78 which ain't too bad for a miner!
I respect coal miners from the stories I was told as a kid, those men are built different than ordinary people.
-thanks for reading a little piece of my family's story
As a gold miner myself. I know for a fact big companies still put profit before safety all the time!!
I was a coal miner. I worked NW colorado (20 mile), breifly Somerset County PA (Kimberly Run and Quecreek), Greene County PA (Emerald and then shortly Cumberland). I lost my job in 2015 after i got in an argument w the superintendent right when they were getting ready to lay people off. I became a nurse. Nursing is harder, I think. But the life of a coal miner is way harder.
Stories like these illuminate the contributions of the men who laid the foundations of modern society. Ironically, while they are often underappreciated, their efforts were essential to the creation and sustenance of the society that tends to look down on them.
Gawd bless Murica 🤓 🖕
My Grandfather was a miner at Henderson Colorado he was the last miner in my family but he came from a long line of miners, Its such hard work and so underappreciated.
Californiarado
We need the Colter Wall podcast ASAP !
After Jordan Peterson mentioned it, I read "The Road To Wigan Pier" by George Orwell. The descriptions of the lives of poor working coal miners was incredible. I happened upon a video from the 60s or 70s about a coal miner strike in WV. The mine owners were complete dangerous assholes. They threatened to kill the videographers and they filmed it as it happened.
We are in such a different world because they did what was needed💪🏽✅
Wha ... 😅 Now we got kids and old ladies mine for your kolbolt😂😂
Speak for yourself
@@firstlast8258 no, I think I’ll actually speak only speak for you, from now on🤌🏾😂
My dad born in 1902 started working in a coal mine in PA at the age of 9 yrs to help feed the kids. Same mine his dad was killed in.
My dad worked in the uranium mines here in New Mexico in the late 70’s. I’ll remember those stories forever. I 100% respect my fellow hard working SOB’s! In memory of the hardest working man I’ll ever know, my dad. Love you dad we will meet again!
Something not talked about is occasionally miners would go to the toilet on the conveyors, if you were unlucky you might find a turd from the previous guy working at a seam.
I'm from WV and sometimes I ride through Welch and look how it used to be and how it is now. It's sad how the state has profited from coal and then let those towns get run down after the coal was gone. Joe, you should hook up with The Untamed guys, they hunt alot down in the coal towns on old mining property and have a look down there.
I'm a coal miner. Worked back east in VA and Ky for 16 years. I'm in Utah now. I've been out here for 5 years. Meet a lot of solid dudes underground.
Joe Rogan should start picking out a different job and interview regular people from a different place each time! A good way to give a voice to the people of this great country of ours!
Theo Von does this
As a UPS driver I’ll start😂
Basically like what Mike Rowe did with "Dirty Jobs". But more in-depth..
Gawd bless Murica 🤓 🖕
Im talking about people from all walks of life. From the common homeless man to the janitor at the courthouse. Lottery style!
I'm originally from Morgantown. My granddad was a miner in the '30s and '40s and he told me the horror stories about the mines. He became company carpenter after experiencing his third cave in. He lived in a company house and shopped at the company store. The mine companies controlled everything. Mine safety has come a long ways since his days. My dad did not work the mines, nor my uncle.
Much respect to these men and women who do this day in day out!
My papa recently passed away from lung cancer. He was a coal miner from age 10-19 in Martin, Kentucky (early 60s) until he was sent off to the Vietnam War where he was on the Cambodian border. theyd be attacked almost every night. He was there two years and was poisoned by Agent orange. 20 years would go by and skin cancer was rampant, he would beat that. Only for Lung cancer to get him at 72….Those mines caught up with him he said. God Bless all the Miners and Veterans….they put their livelihoods on the line for our luxuries in life. THANK YOU.
Many of my family worked in WV mines. My mom's dad was paralyzed neck down from a coal mine cave in. Think 7 kids in two bedroom home.
Salt mines another one under the great lakes. Crazy stuff.
The company stooooooooore!
My American uncle died along with others in a mine collapse in West Virginia in the late 70's early 80's
If not for this video, I never would've known that working in a mine was tough.
That's because a lot of you don't chase big money lol. Coal mines and the oil and gas industry was some of the most lucrative business before Democrats fucked it up. Out of highschool I was making 160k a year in the oilfield.
@@sebastianwhiteside5995oil and gas is still lucrative😂
At least in Norway..
2 weeks on job 12 hours.
4 weeks vacation.
Easily 90k $ salary yearly
Tough is a dramatic understatement, this is the kind of work that will absolutely break most men
@@sebastianwhiteside5995dumb AF. Our nuclear plant provides many more jobs than our coal plant ever did. Thanks democrats
Former Coal miner here Checkin in!!! Shout-out to all my Brothers and Sisters!!!
Dad worked alot of scab mines 28-36 inch dog holes to pU the bills. Left him with a screwed up neck back and black lung
My gr8 grandfather did this and helped lots of families survive by getting them work doing this and steel milling, and was the pioneer of our family, what he started is still going strong today. Sadly he died of lung cancer from doing that kind of work. Maintained a full fruit n vegetable garden all year round and chicken coop. You had to be a different breed back then.
Coal mining is so hard my grandfather told stories of mining coal and his buddies getting trapped in coal mines
I’m from east ky where the real deep mines are. I wish people like this talked about mines more and gave us the credit we truly deserve.
My Grandfather started working in the coal mines at 13. Got crushed at 36, broke both his hips & femurs. Cut off his own body cast 2 mos later & left WV to CA & started a tree trimming company. He climbed trees till age 82 & passed at age 87 still sporting blue knee caps from imbedded coal under his skin. Tough as they come.
Yesterday I ate 5 super-hot spicey chicken wings made with extra hot ghost peppers level 10. This morning I woke up and immediately ran to the toilet and had a massive explosive diarrhea. It stunk horrible and it actually burned my tender but hoal on the way out. Thank you for your blessings and support
McElroy Mine opened in 1969 it has changed names, but is still operating. It is located in Marshall County West Virginia. I worked there for 12 years. Just recently gave it up for a better job. The people I worked with are some of the best people I've ever known.
My dad, both grandpas, 4 or 5 uncles, many cousins and friends worked in the coal mines. There are just a few who still ave a job. After Obama and Biden, they’re almost all gone here. Just a few scattered over East KY, WVA and VA are barely going. Miles under mountains, walking and crawling around with a wheat lamp on their heads. My grandpa actually used carbide lamps when he first started in the 40s. Dangerous and bad for your health.
Dude Reagan shut the mines down in the 80s I know I was working in the in mines in wv at the time
I can honestly say that there is no way I would do that. All respect to all those men that do work in those mines.
I work in an open pit coal mine in elkford bc canada, and people seem to forget the coal we mine now is steel making coal which is what we need for everything in everyday life, hospitals, schools, cars, houses
Hobet being mentioned on this podcast has me pretty excited because ironically if you want to know a place where the hard working, most genuine and good hearted coal miners are, it’s in this area. My husband worked underground, an underground apprentice electrician, and 80% of the men from where I am from is in that industry. Most of those men are some of the hard working, most reliant and family oriented men that you’ll ever know. Those are the stories you need and want to hear. The six day work weeks, ten to twelve hour shifts, covered in coal from head to toe that’ll show up to every practice and game in stripes, it’s their everyday attire. They are family above ground but also family underground, it’s incredible. You must air more about coal miners on your channel. Southern WV and Eastern Kentucky are the most beautiful coal fields. Go watch Coal and Dopesick, that’s the best way to introduce that lifestyle. Such a fan of this channel! Love seeing WV mentioned even if it’s brief. 🖤
I did it for 14 years moved on to a new job for better family life but I miss my friends and the work every day.
An uncle and cousin worked the mines in Kentucky. My uncle started after getting out of the Army in WW2. I had the chance to go to the entrance of one. This was a taller mine at I would guess 3-4 feet tall. The machines they drove in were wild. This short but wide truck. Mad respect for these men. I wouldn't want to even go in to check it out.
I’ve been on the surface of numerous mines across West Virginia and Kentucky for work and I still can’t figure out how these underground miners get around in low coal dragging their huge balls around with them all day. Much respect to you guys. Just from being on the surface and seeing some entry’s I know I never wanna go in one!
Lotta respect for men like this
1. Oil Rig Workers
2. Underwater Welder/repair
3. Loggers
4. Deep Sea Sailors
5. Coal Minors
6. Mid west ranch hands
7. Pipeliners
It’s crazy that out of all the mines to look up pictures of Jamie pulled up pictures of Bailey coal mine. I worked there a few years ago when I was a coal miner, I worked at the dry ridge portal and was on the belt crew building and fixing the conveyor belt systems that carry all of the coal out of the mine. It’s funny to hear Joe talk about it being such a hard and tough job, I’m not saying it was easy work but it’s also not nearly as hard as he made it sound but then again he wouldn’t really know. Also I’m sure the work was much harder back when the guests father started working in the mine. I never worked in low coal where the seam was that short like dudes dad did, 26 1/2 inches is crazy, Bailey mine was probably like a 12-16 foot coal seam so it was never a tight area to have to work in. I feel like the average person would be shocked to see what it’s really like under ground in a coal mine. It’s not as primitive as most people imagine and it almost feels like you’re just in a parking garage especially in the area right at the bottom of the elevator where you start your shift. Sometimes I miss working under ground but the one thing I don’t miss is how much of an effect politics have on the job. It can get very stressful anytime there’s an election coming up because of the wrong person gets elected then you’re going to lose hours or possibly lose your job completely.
I've been to Centralia 3 times. It's pretty wild. They even had to reroute the highway around the town cause the section through town was collapsing. I've walked the old highway and walked through the neighborhoods. There's steam vents all over. You can feel the warmth and feel the moisture on your hand by the vent. People have been dumping trash there for decades, and it all just slowly cooks itself. The ground surface isn't warm to the touch, only near the vents. But there have been local collapses. I think a few people have fallen in over the years. Bodies in the cemeteries burned up, some were relocated. The entire area is really unsafe just to walk around. The last few residents were forced out only a few years back. The only thing left in the town, ironically, is an active fire station (at least it was active last time I was there).
Shoutout from Morgantown!! Let’s gooooo, Mountaineers!!!!!!
My grandfather worked 32 years inside coal mines and drove a coal truck 12 more. Born in 1916 passed in 2007 miss him every day
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole diggy diggy hole.
If joe wants to lace up a pair of Matterhorns and do an underground tour i can arrange it 😂
Much of West Virginia is a forgotten place. Any time I leave the state I feel like I'm in a different world. Always happy to see someone from here getting attention.
“Jesse got trapped in a coal mine” is a good song to check out. Related to coal mining, “Big Bad John” another good one.
My dad was born in Hazard Ky (Perry County) in 1924. He had his mother sign the papers so he could join the Navy at age 16. She didn't want to but her told her he did not want to work in the coal mine's so she signed them. He retired as a Chief in Nov.1961 i was born Jan.1962.
I work in a coalmine in southwest Colorado......good money but the health dangers are very very real !!!
Great interview! I pass through Centralia twice a year. There are two areas of steam that still exist today. One just a few feet north of the St Ignatius Cemetery and an area of steaming cliffs just east of Centralia off of Big Mine Run Rd. I did carbon monoxide tests in both areas and no CO was recorded which means it is either residual heat or the fire is far away. There is another fire burning 2 miles east of Centralia too, just a mile west of Raven Run. It may or may not connected
My MOTHER worked in the coal mines in the 70s and early 80s, raised 8 kids bye herself. She worked in coal 30 inches, i remember mom coming home, only thing you could see was her eyes and teeth.
Anytime I hear or see anything about a coal mine, I immediately think of October Sky. Such a great film!
CWG is so overlooked, this episode gonna be good
$37 a short ton delivered to power plant. cheap but vital to our energy in this country.
Im a coal miner. Work in Gary West Virginia this work is not for the weak that’s for sure. Good to hear it being talked about on the podcast
Love the hat.....Gene's Beer Garden....a true Morgantown, WV staple.
Joe , it would be worth you visiting a coalmine ... I did work 20 years here in Wales ,UK .... and we where under the Irish sea ...
JOE, YOU NEED TO HAVE "MANDATORY FUN DAY" ON! TOTALLY HILARIOUS AND SUPPORTING THE TROOPS!
I work in a copper mine in Bor, Serbia. Everyday we are 1 km deep underground,digging that shit. I'm a loader operator on Sandvik 514, mad machine
Sooo surprised to see CWG from my hometown on here. Morgantown, WV stand up!!
Yea my pap in Northern West Virginia worked in a coal mines for 40 years right after getting back from Vietnam was a head mechanic for a few of the mines up there. Now my uncle's both still do it.
Loved working in the mine in Utah. I was a shearer operator cutting 13' of coal on the longwall. I spent 18 years underground until I hurt my back in a bounce. The roof and rib came in and pounded three of us. But it was a great job!
22 year old coal miner in Virginia I’ve been in coal seams from 35 inches to 30 feet high it’s different breed for sure
My mom's family worked the coal mines in Harlan, Ky. in the 60s. They all moved to Detroit to work in the auto factories. Both are hellish jobs.
All these comments on the incredibly intense/harsh life of a miner, but not a single one on how well spoken and wise Charles Godwin is. Truly one of the greatest working artists in the business!
I've been underground for 15 years. My father and grandfather both spent their working careers underground also.