The death of Ira 'Ike' Schab, one of the last remaining survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has been confirmed. He was 103 years old.
A Witness to History on December 7, 1941
On the fateful morning of December 7, 1941, Schab was a 19-year-old sailor serving as a gunner's mate on the USS Dobbin, a destroyer tender stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service propelled the United States into the Second World War. Schab witnessed the devastation firsthand from his ship, which was moored near Battleship Row.
He later recounted the chaos of that day, describing the sight of Japanese planes filling the sky and the immense explosions that rocked the USS Arizona. The attack claimed the lives of 2,403 American service personnel and civilians, a day which President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared would "live in infamy."
A Life of Service and Remembrance
Following the attack, Schab continued to serve in the US Navy throughout the war. After his military service, he built a career with the US Postal Service and settled into family life. For decades, he was a dedicated member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, a group founded to honour the memory of those who served and died.
As the years passed and the ranks of survivors thinned, Schab became a vital link to this pivotal moment in 20th-century history. He regularly attended commemorative events and shared his personal testimony with younger generations, ensuring the lessons of Pearl Harbor were not forgotten. His death marks the passing of another direct connection to the events that shaped the modern world.
The Legacy of the 'Greatest Generation'
The passing of Ira Schab underscores the rapid fading of the 'Greatest Generation,' those who lived through the Great Depression and fought in the Second World War. Organisations like the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors now work to preserve their legacy.
Schab's life story, from a young sailor facing the horrors of war to a centenarian dedicated to education and remembrance, encapsulates a profound chapter in American and global history. His first-hand accounts provided an invaluable human perspective on a day studied in history books worldwide.
He is survived by his daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His family and the wider community of historians and veterans mourn the loss of a humble man who became an accidental witness to history and a steadfast guardian of its memory.
