PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Ira “Ike” Schab, a 104-year-old survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack, demonstrated remarkable determination by undergoing six weeks of physical therapy to prepare for a remembrance ceremony honoring the lives lost in the devastating bombing that propelled the United States into World War II 83 years ago.
During the ceremony, held on Saturday, Schab carefully rose from his wheelchair, extending his right hand to salute as sailors from a destroyer and a submarine passed by in the harbor. His children supported him on each side, a testament to the familial bond during such significant moments.
“I felt honored to do it. I’m glad I was capable of standing up,” he reflected after the event. “I’m getting old, you know.”
Schab was among only two living servicemen who attended the annual observance organized by the U.S. Navy and the National Park Service, which took place on a grassy area overlooking Pearl Harbor. Another survivor had intended to join but had to withdraw due to health reasons.
The attack on December 7, 1941, resulted in the deaths of over 2,300 U.S. servicemen, with nearly half—1,177—being sailors and Marines aboard the USS Arizona, which sank during the assault. The remains of more than 900 crew members still lie within the submerged ship.
In previous years, numerous survivors attended this annual ceremony, but their numbers have dwindled over time as they age. Currently, only 16 survivors are still alive, according to a record maintained by Kathleen Farley, who chairs the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors in California. Military historian J. Michael Wenger has estimated that approximately 87,000 military personnel were stationed on Oahu when the attack occurred.
This year, Schab committed to saluting on behalf of all survivors and World War II veterans when asked by event organizers.
“He’s put in a lot of effort because this was his goal,” remarked Kimberlee Heinrichs, Schab’s daughter, who journeyed to Hawaii with him from their home in Beaverton, Oregon. “He wanted to be able to stand for that.”
At the time of the attack, Schab was a sailor on the USS Dobbin and also played the tuba in the ship’s band. After taking a shower and donning a clean uniform, he responded to the call for a fire rescue party, going topside only to witness Japanese planes overhead and the USS Utah capsizing. He swiftly returned below deck to join his fellow sailors in loading shells into an anti-aircraft gun.
Joining Schab at the ceremony was Ken Stevens, 102, who served on the USS Whitney. Bob Fernandez, a 100-year-old sailor from the USS Curtiss, was unable to attend due to health problems.
A moment of silence was observed at 7:54 a.m., marking the exact time when the attack commenced eight decades earlier. Shortly thereafter, F-22 jets flew overhead in a missing man formation, a poignant tribute to the fallen.
Fernandez, in a phone conversation from California where he resides with a nephew, recounted his feelings of shock and disbelief as the assault unfolded.
“When those things go off like that, we didn’t know what was what,” Fernandez expressed. “We didn’t even realize we were at war.”
At the time of the attack, he was working as a mess cook on the Curtiss, responsible for serving coffee and breakfast. When he heard the alarm, he rushed to look out a porthole, spotting a Japanese plane adorned with the red circle insignia.
Without delay, he hastened down three decks to a magazine room with other sailors, eager to unlock a door that contained 5-inch, 38-caliber shells necessary for the ship’s weaponry. Over the years, he has shared that many of his shipmates were praying and crying as the sound of gunfire echoed above.
“I felt kind of scared because I didn’t know what the hell was going on,” Fernandez admitted.
The ship’s gunners succeeded in hitting a Japanese plane, which crashed into one of their cranes, and another dive bomber that subsequently struck the ship, igniting fires below deck as detailed by the Navy History and Heritage Command. The USS Curtiss ultimately lost 21 men, with nearly 60 others injured during the harrowing encounter.
While Pearl Harbor survivors are often celebrated as heroes, Fernandez humbly rejects such labels.
“I’m not a hero,” he stated. “I’m just an ammunition passer.”
