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Original 1963 Order of the Condor of the Andes document issued to Lt. Col. Malcolm L. Nurnberg, U.S. Air Force, together with the January 30, 1956 issue of LIFE magazine documenting his earlier involvement in the search for five American missionaries killed in Ecuador.
Nurnberg was serving as Chief of the U.S. Air Force Mission to Bolivia when the Bolivian government awarded him the Order of the Condor of the Andes in the grade of Officer. Bolivia's Supreme Decree No. 6529, dated July 19, 1963, specifically records that Nurnberg received the decoration for his work fostering understanding and cooperation between the Bolivian Air Force and the United States Air Force.
The document is dated July 19, 1963 in La Paz and bears Nurnberg's name and rank, the Bolivian national arms, color and gold Order insignia, large embossed seal, and official signatures.
Nurnberg's connection to Latin America extended well beyond Bolivia. In January 1956 he participated in the search following the disappearance and deaths of five American missionaries in Ecuador. That operation became an internationally reported story.
Included here is the January 30, 1956 issue of LIFE magazine containing the major photo feature "Go Ye and Preach the Gospel — Five Do and Die." Nurnberg is both pictured and identified by name in the LIFE coverage. One photograph shows him leading the party across a beach toward a canoe landing after traveling through Auca territory.
This grouping therefore documents two separate chapters of Nurnberg's U.S. Air Force service in Latin America: his involvement in the 1956 Ecuador missionary search and his later service as Chief of the U.S. Air Force Mission to Bolivia, for which Bolivia formally recognized his work in 1963.
Included:
Original July 19, 1963 Order of the Condor of the Andes document issued to Malcolm L. Nurnberg.
January 30, 1956 LIFE magazine containing the Ecuador missionary story and photographs identifying Nurnberg.
The Order of the Condor medal itself is NOT included.
The 1963 document has extensive creasing and wrinkling from previous storage, visible in the photographs. LIFE magazine has age and handling wear. Please examine photographs for exact condition.
