Davie native dropped the bomb that made history

Published 11:02 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

By Marcia Phillips
For the Enterprise

Aug. 6 marked the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb in world warfare, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima to bring World War II to an end.
The man with his hand on the lever to release that weapon into history was Davie County’s own native son – Thomas Ferebee.
Tom was born on Nov. 9, 1917 into a rural family near Cana in the waning hours of World War I, supposedly the War to End All Wars. Yet 28 years later, the newborn in our countryside would be chosen to halt the worst war in history, devastating in every respect but mostly in the loss of human lives.
A childhood school photo shows Tom as a normal kid in overalls sporting hair that had no doubt been slicked down for the occasion. He hunted (honing the marksman skills that would prove so valuable on that fated day to come), fished but mostly loved to watch airplanes in the sky, stealing away to observe barnstorming events.
He dreamed of becoming a pilot but injuring his knee while playing high school football (pictured in the mural at Davie Family Restaurant) disqualified him after he joined the army from being a pilot – he struggled to operate the rudder and he was criticized for being a “hot-dogger” and too daring.
Instead, he was trained in an elite new group to be a bombardier – not to fly the plane but to drop bombs on targets, declaring “Bombs Away!”
After many successful raids, he was handpicked by Col. Paul Tibbets and spent a year training for a special mission, so secretive that few knew its purpose – to use the newly developed science to split a tiny atom into a massive explosion.
He was also aided by a new piece of technology called the Norden device that improved accuracy and was so secretive itself that it had to be removed from the plane when not in testing or use.
The Enola Gay was piloted by Col. Tibbets and navigated by Ted Van Kirk (the three not only shared this historic moment but became lifelong friends).
The rest is history – one moment on a clear day over the Pacific Ocean, Tom focused on completing the order he had been given as a soldier, dropping the bomb on a city and ultimately bringing Japan to surrender.
Mission accomplished. Victory won.
Col. Ferebee continued to serve in the military for many decades and retired to Florida and sold real estate.
He always answered questions about any regrets, particularly the huge loss of lives. He was a soldier following orders and he believed it saved millions of lives by ending the war. He also deflected the hero praise to others, including his brother Bill Ferebee, who endured fierce fighting in the Pacific theater.
Tom loved returning home to Davie County every time he was invited to dedicate a historical marker or monument.
After one such occasion, Tom wrote back a thank you letter to Jack Koontz, thanking him for driving him and Tibbets and Van Kirk around in his convertible. The letter is mostly just chatty talk about the weather in Florida and golfing but in the middle of it, when referencing being in Davie County, he wrote the very telling sentince:
“It is the only place that I do not feel like I am being used.”
In the end, he returned in 2000 to be buried in the family plot at Wesley Chapel, while elderly World War II veterans all over Davie County stood in their backyards and saluted the military flyover that honored him and his service.
This letter and other artifacts are on display in the lobby and History Room during August in the Davie County Public Library, honoring Tom Ferebee and others who served.
Quotations in this article come from “Davie County Mavericks” which can be checked out or purchased throughout August in the library.