Ira "Ike" Schab

Early life Schab was born on 4 July 1920, in Chicago, Illinois, the eldest of three brothers. He joined the United States Navy at 18, following in his father's footsteps.

During the Pearl Harbor attack, Schab witnessed the capsizing of the USS Utah, later recalling that he was "startled and scared to death".

Career

After the war, Schab studied aerospace engineering and worked as an electrical engineer for General Dynamics, contributing to the United States' Apollo space flight program.

Beyond his technical contributions, Schab often spoke about how his wartime experiences shaped his determination to pursue a career that supported America's scientific and defense achievements. At the time of his death, there were only about a dozen survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack still living.