Patrick Murphy was an Irish-American pilot who mistakenly bombed the border town of

Naco, Arizona Naco is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Naco had a recorded population of 1,046 at the 2010 United States Census. Located directly across the United States–Mexico border from its sister city ...

in April 1929 during the

Escobar Rebellion 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 ...

. Little is known of his personal life, though he may have come from

Ardmore, Oklahoma Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 24,725 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 1.8% increase over the 2010 census figure of 24,283. The Ardmo ...

.Edge Effects: The Border-Name Places
Temple, Robert; iUniverse; 2008; p. 632.

Bombing of Naco

Murphy owned a biplane around the time of the

Cristero War The Cristero War (), also known as the Cristero Rebellion or , was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico from 3 August 1926 to 21 June 1929 in response to the implementation of secularism, secularist and anti-clericalism, anticler ...

(also known as "The Cristiada") in Mexico against the purportedly anti-Catholic and secular government of

Emilio Portes Gil Emilio Cándido Portes Gil (; 3 October 1890 – 10 December 1978) was a Mexican politician, lawyer and diplomat who served as the 48th President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930, one of three to serve out the six-year term of President-elect Gener ...

. Murphy was hired to aid the rebels by using his biplane to bomb the government-controlled town of

Naco, Sonora Naco is a Mexican town in Naco Municipality located in the northeast part of Sonora state on the border with the United States. It is directly across from the unincorporated town of Naco, Arizona. The name Naco comes from the Opata language an ...

.Arizona: a panoramic history of a frontier State
Trimble, Marshall; Doubleday; 1977; p. 337 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. 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 Nogales (; English: or ) is a city in and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales L ...

on April 30. He was charged with "violating the neutrality of the United States".Sierra Vista: Young City with a Past
Jackson Price, Ethel; Arcadia Publishing; 2003; p. 67.Reportage on Naco bomber Patrick Murphy
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Legacy

Murphy became the first person working for a foreign power to ever bomb the mainland United States.Our Wall
Bowden, Charles; National Geographic; May, 2007. The second was Nobuo Fujita during the 1942

Lookout Air Raids The Lookout Air Raids were minor but historic Japanese air raids that occurred in the mountains of Oregon, several miles outside Brookings during World War II. On September 9, 1942, a Japanese Yokosuka E14Y ''Glen'' floatplane, launched from ...

. The balladeer Dolan Ellis honored Murphy in his song " The Bombing of Naco" from his album ''Tall Tales, Lost Trails & Heroes''."Tracks and Trails″, Sounds
tucsoncitizen.com; 21-12-2000

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Patrick 1929 in the United States Irish aviators Irish male criminals Escobar Rebellion Fugitives wanted by the United States History of Cochise County, Arizona Place of birth missing Place of death missing Year of birth missing Year of death missing Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government