Thomas Ferebee
| Col. Thomas Wilson Ferebee United States Air Force | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
November 9, 1918 Mocksville, North Carolina |
| Died | March 16, 2000 (aged 81) Windermere, Florida |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1942–1970 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 509th Composite Group |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Silver Star Air Medal |
Thomas W. Ferebee (November 9, 1918 – March 16, 2000) was the bombardier aboard the B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb, "Little Boy", on Hiroshima in 1945.
Thomas Wilson Ferebee was born on a farm outside Mocksville, North Carolina, as the third of eleven children. In 1935, at age 17, he attended Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC. Talented in athletics since childhood, he earned awards in track, basketball, and football. After training for a small position with the Boston Red Sox and not making the team, he joined the Army. A knee injury kept him from service in the infantry but he was accepted into flight training. After two years of flight school, Ferebee was assigned as a bombardier in the European theater, completing more than 60 bombing missions. In the summer of 1944, he was recruited by Colonel Paul Tibbets to be part of the 509th Composite Group which was formed to deliver the atomic bomb. After the war, he remained in the Air Force until December 1970. After he retired from the Air Force, he worked as a real estate agent in and around Orlando, Florida. Like Tibbets, Ferebee never expressed regret for his role in the bombing, saying "it was a job that had to be done."
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