He engaged the Norden Bombside and successfully made the bombing run. "My navigator had me perfectly lined up with the target,’’ said Ferebee, ‘’ I could clearly see the city of Hiroshima within my bombsight.” The National Archives contains film shot of the mission, and crew members talking about it afterwards. In the early morning hours of August 6, 1945, a B-29 Superfortress named "Enola Gay" took off from the Mariana Islands for a 6-hour flight to Japan. In 1944 Ferebee was recruited for a bomber group formed to deliver an atomic bomb. “He told me, you never make too many friends in the service because you never know when you're going to lose one of them." "My brother had a bombsight blown out from under him one time,” said Maxine. He joined the Army Air Corps, flying 63 missions as a bombardier over Europe. "We didn't have money to pay right then, but my mother sold a turkey to so he could ride in that airplane," said Maxine.Īfter lettering in 3 sports at Davie High, Tom went to Lees McRae College in Banner Elk. Money was tight, even when a boy who “loved airplanes,” got a chance to ride in one for a few dollars. Maxine grew up with 10 brothers and sisters on a farm in Davie County. "I definitely think he did, yes, how could I say no? " asked Maxine. It’s something her older brother Tom helped end. GREENSBORO - 87 year old Maxine Ferebee Pruitt grew up during World War II.