Last of the Few: WWII Navy Veteran Ira 'Ike' Schab Passes Away at 105, Leaving Behind a Legacy

Ira 'Ike' Schab, a 105-year-old World War II Navy veteran and one of the last remaining survivors of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has passed away at his Oregon home. Schab, who served on the USS Dobbin, was just 21 years old when the surprise attack killed over 2,400 troops and drew the United States into the war. Born on Independence Day in 1920 in Chicago, Schab joined the Navy at 18, following in his father's footsteps. He spent most of the war in the Pacific, serving in various locations, including the New Hebrides, Mariana Islands, and Okinawa, Japan. After the war, Schab studied aerospace engineering and worked on the Apollo spaceflight program as an electrical engineer for General Dynamics. Schab rarely spoke about his Pearl Harbor experience for decades, but in recent years, he made a point of attending the annual observance at the Hawaii military base to honor his fellow service members who did not survive. In 2023, he reflected on why he continued to attend the commemoration, saying, 'To pay honor to the guys that didn’t make it.' As the last of the few remaining survivors, Schab's passing leaves behind a legacy of service and sacrifice. His son, a retired Navy commander, also served in the military. Schab's words of wisdom, spoken at a 2022 ceremony, continue to resonate: 'Remember what they’re here for. Remember and honor those that are left. They did a hell of a job.'