Patrick Murphy (pilot)

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Patrick Murphy was an Irish-American pilot who mistakenly bombed the border town of Naco, Arizona in April 1929 during the Escobar Rebellion. Little is known of his personal life, though he may have come from Ardmore, Oklahoma. [1]

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Bombing of Naco

Murphy owned a biplane around the time of the Cristero War (also known as "The Cristiada") in Mexico against the purportedly anti-Catholic and secular government of Emilio Portes Gil. Murphy was hired to aid the rebels by using his biplane to bomb the government-controlled town of Naco, Sonora. [2] He made several attempts in 1929 between March 31 and April 6 to bomb Naco but also, apparently accidentally, bombed the Arizona border town of the same name, destroying various buildings and a car. His poor accuracy has been variously blamed on high winds perhaps combined with the consumption of alcohol by either himself, his 'bombardier', or both. [1] The plane was eventually shot down by Mexican 'Federales' troops, but Murphy escaped to rebel territory.

Murphy, along with other Mexican rebel troops and pilots, surrendered to US authorities in Nogales, Arizona on April 30. He was charged with "violating the neutrality of the United States". [3] [4]

Legacy

Murphy became the first person working for a foreign power to ever bomb the mainland United States. [5] The second was Nobuo Fujita during the 1942 Lookout Air Raids.

The balladeer Dolan Ellis honored Murphy in his song "The Bombing of Naco" from his album Tall Tales, Lost Trails & Heroes. [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombing of Naco</span> 1929 international incident during Escobar Rebellion

The Bombing of Naco was an international incident which occurred in the border town of Naco, Arizona, during the 1929 Escobar Rebellion. While rebel forces were battling Mexican 'Federales' for control of the neighboring town of Naco, Sonora, the Irish-American mercenary and pilot Patrick Murphy was hired to bombard the government forces with improvised explosives dropped from his biplane. During the ensuing fighting, Murphy mistakenly dropped bombs on the American side of the international border on three occasions, causing significant damage to both private and government-owned property, as well as slight injuries to several American spectators watching the battle from across the border. The bombing, although unintentional, is noted for being the first aerial bombardment of the continental United States by a foreign power in history.

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The Escobar Rebellion was a conflict in northern Mexico in 1929 during the Maximato, between the government forces of President Emilio Portes Gil and rebel forces under the command of General José Gonzalo Escobar. After some initial success in taking over several key cities in the northern half of the country, the Escobar rebels were decisively defeated in a major battle at Jiménez, Chihuahua, and were eventually swept aside by the advancing government forces under the command of General Calles.

References

  1. 1 2 Edge Effects: The Border-Name Places; Temple, Robert; iUniverse; 2008; p. 632.
  2. Arizona: a panoramic history of a frontier State; Trimble, Marshall; Doubleday; 1977; p. 337
  3. Sierra Vista: Young City with a Past; Jackson Price, Ethel; Arcadia Publishing; 2003; p. 67.
  4. Reportage on Naco bomber Patrick Murphy
  5. Our Wall; Bowden, Charles; National Geographic; May, 2007.
  6. "Tracks and Trails″, Sounds, tucsoncitizen.com; 21-12-2000