Shell Mera
Encyclopedia
Shell Mera is a town located in the eastern foothills of the Ecuador
ian Andes
, about 94 miles (151.3 km) from Quito
. Its name comes from the Royal Dutch Shell Company, and the smaller town of Mera
, which is 5 miles (8 km) to the west.
s and a 5000 feet (1,524 m) airstrip
. It was operated as part of Shell's prospecting efforts
in the region.
The base was located near some Indian
tribes that were known to be hostile. On a few occasions the Indians attacked Shell, resulting in the deaths of several employees. The oil company eventually considered the base too dangerous to maintain, and abandoned it in 1948.
However, it is more likely that business prospects had more to do with the decision. It was during this time that the Middle East
rose in prominence in the oil industry, since it was becoming much more productive. After spending 10 years prospecting in Ecuador, the oil company had not produced any oil from the region.
. The MAF
recognized the importance of Shell due to its airstrip and road access to Quito. They used it as their main base of operations for mission work in Ecuador, and it was also the home base of MAF pilots Nate Saint
and Johnny Keenan.
In 1954, Saint, a former member of the U.S. Army, welcomed General James Doolittle
to Shell. Doolittle was an Air Force
(Army Air Forces
) aviator
who rose to fame during what became known as "Doolittle's Raid"
over Tokyo
in 1942. General Doolittle was visiting Ecuador for then-President
Eisenhower on a fact-finding mission for the CIA.
World-wide attention focused on Shell in January 1956 at the news of the disappearance of Saint and four other missionaries - Jim Elliot
, Pete Fleming
, Ed McCully
, and Roger Youderian
. They had been trying to reach the Huaorani
tribe, and had been making aerial reconnaissance
missions. When they landed in Huaorani territory they were killed by the natives, their bodies thrown into the Curaray River
. Once again, Shell served as a base of operations, this time for the families of the victims and rescue workers.
Two years later, in 1958, the Hospital Vozandes Del Oriente opened its doors as the first hospital in that region of Ecuador. The hospital was the dream of Nate Saint, who donated both land and time to work on its construction before his death in 1956. It served an estimated 65,000 people who lived on the eastern side of the Andes and in the jungle. In 1985 a new Hospital Vozandes was opened on the other side of the Motolo River, and the old hospital was converted to a guest house, lasting until 2007 when weather and termite
s forced it to be torn down.
In August 1964, Nate Saint Memorial School opened in Shell for missionary children. The school was the realization of an idea Saint had of starting a mission school. He believed it was important for children to go to school close to home. The school was started by MAF, and later was transferred to HCJB
who now operate it.
-speaking church, hangar
s, hospital, schools, hotels, and missionary guest houses. The Saints' house is also still standing.
The airstrip remains operational and continues to service the region as the Rio Amazonas Airport
(PTZ
), which is owned by the military
and used as a base. The airport is also still a major base of operations for the MAF
.
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, about 94 miles (151.3 km) from Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
. Its name comes from the Royal Dutch Shell Company, and the smaller town of Mera
Mera, Pastaza
Mera is a town in the eastern foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes. It is also the name of the Canton in Pastaza Province of which it is a part.It lends its name to Shell Mera, a larger town 4 miles to the east.*...
, which is 5 miles (8 km) to the west.
Shell Oil base
Shell Mera was established in 1937 as a Shell Oil Company base. It originally consisted of little more than several basic shackShack
A shack is a type of small house, usually in a state of disrepair. The word may derive from the Nahuatl word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S...
s and a 5000 feet (1,524 m) airstrip
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. It was operated as part of Shell's prospecting efforts
Oil exploration
Hydrocarbon exploration is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface, such as oil and natural gas...
in the region.
The base was located near some Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes that were known to be hostile. On a few occasions the Indians attacked Shell, resulting in the deaths of several employees. The oil company eventually considered the base too dangerous to maintain, and abandoned it in 1948.
However, it is more likely that business prospects had more to do with the decision. It was during this time that the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
rose in prominence in the oil industry, since it was becoming much more productive. After spending 10 years prospecting in Ecuador, the oil company had not produced any oil from the region.
Missionary base
Sometime around 1949, Shell was reoccupied by the Mission Aviation FellowshipMission Aviation Fellowship
Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world's most remote areas...
. The MAF
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world's most remote areas...
recognized the importance of Shell due to its airstrip and road access to Quito. They used it as their main base of operations for mission work in Ecuador, and it was also the home base of MAF pilots Nate Saint
Nate Saint
Nathanael "Nate" Saint was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people through efforts known as Operation Auca....
and Johnny Keenan.
In 1954, Saint, a former member of the U.S. Army, welcomed General James Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
to Shell. Doolittle was an Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
) aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
who rose to fame during what became known as "Doolittle's Raid"
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
over Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1942. General Doolittle was visiting Ecuador for then-President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Eisenhower on a fact-finding mission for the CIA.
World-wide attention focused on Shell in January 1956 at the news of the disappearance of Saint and four other missionaries - Jim Elliot
Jim Elliot
Philip James Elliot was an evangelical Christian who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Waodani people of Ecuador.-Early life:...
, Pete Fleming
Pete Fleming
Peter Sillence Fleming was an evangelical Christian who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Waodani people of Ecuador.- Early life :Fleming was born in Seattle, Washington...
, Ed McCully
Ed McCully
Edward "Ed" McCully was an evangelical Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four other missionaries, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people, through efforts known as Operation Auca.-Early years:...
, and Roger Youderian
Roger Youderian
Roger Youderian was an Armenian-American evangelical Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people through efforts known as Operation Auca....
. They had been trying to reach the Huaorani
Huaorani
The Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua Indians, and commonly adopted by...
tribe, and had been making aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
missions. When they landed in Huaorani territory they were killed by the natives, their bodies thrown into the Curaray River
Curaray River
The Curaray River is a river in eastern Ecuador and is part of the Amazon River basin. The land along the river is home to several indigenous people groups including the Quechua and Huaorani...
. Once again, Shell served as a base of operations, this time for the families of the victims and rescue workers.
Two years later, in 1958, the Hospital Vozandes Del Oriente opened its doors as the first hospital in that region of Ecuador. The hospital was the dream of Nate Saint, who donated both land and time to work on its construction before his death in 1956. It served an estimated 65,000 people who lived on the eastern side of the Andes and in the jungle. In 1985 a new Hospital Vozandes was opened on the other side of the Motolo River, and the old hospital was converted to a guest house, lasting until 2007 when weather and termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s forced it to be torn down.
In August 1964, Nate Saint Memorial School opened in Shell for missionary children. The school was the realization of an idea Saint had of starting a mission school. He believed it was important for children to go to school close to home. The school was started by MAF, and later was transferred to HCJB
World Radio Missionary Fellowship, Inc.
World Radio Missionary Fellowship, Inc., also known as HCJB Global, is a corporate entity and nonprofit, noncommercial, interdenominational worldwide missionary organization with headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.-History:...
who now operate it.
Today
Today, Shell is a much larger town than it was, complete with a SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-speaking church, hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s, hospital, schools, hotels, and missionary guest houses. The Saints' house is also still standing.
The airstrip remains operational and continues to service the region as the Rio Amazonas Airport
Rio Amazonas Airport
Rio Amazonas Airport is located at Shell Mera in the Pastaza Province in Ecuador. The airport was established in 1937 by Royal Dutch Shell and abandoned in 1948. In 1949 the Mission Aviation Fellowship, a Christian missionary group, established themselves in the area and used the airport as their...
(PTZ
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
), which is owned by the military
Military of Ecuador
The Military of Ecuador is under civilian control. The commander-in-chief is the President of Ecuador, currently Rafael Correa. The military of Ecuador has been involved in border disputes with Peru , and has provided Military Observers and troops to the United Nations since 1948.-Mission:The...
and used as a base. The airport is also still a major base of operations for the MAF
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world's most remote areas...
.
External links
- Rio Amazonas Airport at Private Jet Specialist
- Aerial Pictures of Shell Mera
- Hospital Vozandes in Shell