Nathanael Saint (30 August 19238 January 1956) was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot who, along with four others, was killed in Ecuador while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people through efforts known as Operation Auca. Early life Saint was born in 1923. When he was seven he took his first plane ride with his brother Sam, who would eventually become a commercial pilot for American Airlines. While in the airplane he discovered a love of flying. His family was somewhat unusual. His brothers made a sleeping patio on the roof of their home, and his father built a roller coaster in the backyard. When he joined the army he was stationed in Las Vegas, NV, but was transferred to several other locations over the years. A leg injury caused him some problems while he was in the army. About a year before he was discharged, he nearly died while climbing a mountain in Yosemite National Park. Becoming a missionary When Saint was asked by a friend to fix a plane somewhere in Mexico, he agreed. After he repaired the plane, he discovered a need for his skill in the field of mission work and also a new awareness of the value of missions. After going to Wheaton College, Saint married Marjorie Farris (commonly called Marj) in 1948 and eventually moved to Shell, Ecuador. Here, Saint built his family a house which would also serve as a guesthouse and a radio center with the other missionaries. Operation Auca In September 1955, Saint was joined by his teammates, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian. Saint finally found a Huaorani (also known as Auca) settlement while searching by air. To reach the tribe, Saint and the team lowered gifts to the Huaorani in a bucket tied to the plane. The team decided to try to meet the Huaorani on the ground; and, on January 3, 1956, using the beach as a landing strip, they set up camp four miles from the Huaorani settlement. Their initial contact was encouraging; however, on Sunday, January 8, 1956, the entire team was killed on the beach (known as "Palm Beach") when armed Huaorani met and speared them. Saint was the third of the five missionaries to be speared to death. Saint and the other four men became famous worldwide as a result. Life magazine published a 10-page photo essay on the story, which was