The ranks of those who witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor firsthand have grown thinner with the passing of Ira “Ike” Schab. The World War II Navy veteran died at his home in Beaverton, Oregon, early Saturday at the age of 105. His daughter, Kimberlee Heinrichs, confirmed his peaceful passing to The Associated Press.
A Life Defined by Service and Survival
Born on July 4, 1920, in Chicago, Schab was the eldest of three brothers. Following his father's path, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 18. By December 1941, the 21-year-old sailor was serving aboard the USS Dobbin, where he played tuba in the ship's band.
The morning of December 7, 1941, began as a quiet Sunday. Schab had just showered and put on a clean uniform, anticipating a visit from his brother stationed nearby, when the calm was shattered. A call for fire rescue echoed, and he rushed topside to witness the surprise Japanese attack unfolding. He saw the USS Utah capsizing and enemy planes filling the sky.
"We were pretty startled. Startled and scared to death," Schab recalled in a 2023 interview. "We didn't know what to expect." He quickly joined a daisy chain of sailors below deck, passing boxes of ammunition to feed an anti-aircraft gun. The assault claimed the lives of over 2,400 U.S. troops and propelled America into World War II. Schab's own ship lost three men that day.
Honouring the Fallen in Later Years
For many decades, Schab seldom spoke about his traumatic experience. However, as the number of living Pearl Harbor survivors dwindled into the dozens, he felt a renewed duty to remember. In his later years, the centenarian made a point of traveling from Oregon to Hawaii for the annual commemoration at the military base.
"To pay honor to the guys that didn't make it," he stated in 2023. His commitment was profound; for the 2023 ceremony, he spent weeks building his strength simply to stand and salute. This year, he was too unwell to attend and passed away less than three weeks later. With his death, only about a dozen survivors of the attack are believed to remain.
A Legacy of Engineering and Family
Schab's service continued through most of the war in the Pacific, with postings in the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), the Mariana Islands, and Okinawa. After the war, he channeled his discipline into education, studying aerospace engineering. He worked as an electrical engineer for General Dynamics on the Apollo spaceflight program, contributing to the monumental effort to send astronauts to the moon.
The tradition of service extended to his family. His son also pursued a career in the Navy, retiring with the rank of commander. At a 2022 ceremony, Schab offered a simple, powerful request: "Remember what they're here for. Remember and honor those that are left. They did a hell of a job. Those who are still here, dead or alive." His life stands as a bridge from one of history's most pivotal moments to the modern day, a personal story of courage, resilience, and remembrance.
