Pearl Harbor Vet’s 104th Birthday Ride
Born on the Fourth of July, less than 60 years after the Civil War, World War II veteran Ira “Ike” Schab celebrated his 104th birthday with a motorcycle sidecar joyride.
Schab, a Pearl Harbor survivor from Beaverton, Oregon, proudly shares his birthday with the United States, a nation he defended for eight years in the US Navy. With assistance from the Washington County ABATE, a local nonprofit, Schab donned a helmet and revisited his past, reminiscent of his days riding a 1947 Harley.
The day brought back memories of December 7, 1941, when Schab, then 21, experienced the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As Japanese bombers attacked, he dropped his coffee, rushed to the deck, and witnessed the USS Utah capsize. Assigned to the USS Dobbin, Schab, a sousaphone player, quickly transitioned from musician to loading anti-aircraft ammunition.
“It was pretty scary,” Schab recalled. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. The uncertainty is hard to describe.” After the battle, he helped pull deceased sailors from the water, a task he rarely discussed for decades. Recently, Schab began sharing his experiences, even speaking at Pearl Harbor’s 75th anniversary.
His daughter, Kimberlee Heinrichs, noted the trauma many men endured during the attack. Schab’s willingness to share his story aims to educate younger generations about the sacrifices made to combat fascism. “They should know everything they can about Pearl Harbor,” Schab emphasized.
Schab, a father of five and post-war engineer, has lived a “pretty good” life. He enjoys cocktails and chatting with fraternity brothers over Zoom every Friday. His daughter, Kimberlee, expressed pride in her father’s resilience and longevity, calling him her hero.
Re-reported from the article originally published in NEWYORK POST.
