‘The luckiest man in the world.' WWII veteran ‘Papa Jake' dies at 102
But thanks to a hugely popular social media presence, Larson's stories and optimism were shared online with millions of fans and followers.
Larson died July 17 at the age of 102, according to his social media accounts, managed by his granddaughter McKaela Larson.
'Please know, he went peacefully and was even cracking jokes till the very end,' she said in the post.
Larson's internet fame started with the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of self-isolation efforts, McKaela, a cruise ship dancer, spent a great deal of her time in the family's Martinez, Calif., home with her grandfather. That's when she created his TikTok account, according to family members.
It became hugely popular. The TikTok account, @storytimewithpapajake, amassed more than 1 million followers and more than 11 million likes.
His large following meant Larson's stories were shared worldwide. In addition to a massive online following, he recently won an Emmy for an interview about the anniversary of D-Day with CNN. Last July, he was invited on stage at a Zac Brown concert at the Oakland Coliseum. In November, he visited Disneyland for the first time, where he was named an Honorary Citizen.
On his TikTok account, Larson often described himself as the luckiest man in the world.
The stories he told on the account ranged from the frightening to the hopeful.
He recounted climbing off of the ramp of the boat that dropped him off on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944, and watching his fellow troops step in land mines while trying to avoid German machine-gun fire. 'I was more afraid of stepping on a mine than I was of the gunfire coming at us,' he said in a 2022 post.
In another TikTok post, Larson is asked for the best advice he ever received. 'Don't ever give up,' he said. 'Always do the best you can in life.'
The National WWII Museum estimates that there were only 66,143 alive of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II as of 2024.
Family members described Larson as an infinitely compassionate and optimistic soul who was always 'quick to tell you how much he loves you,' his granddaughter Krista Paulson said in an interview with The Times.
His grandkids were eager to recall memories and anecdotes about their Papa Jake. Many commenters on Larson's account thanked his family for sharing him with them.
'He made people feel like they were a part of his family,' Paulson said. 'It's crazy to just share him ... to be able to say that he was ours, but so proud to know that everyone wanted to be a part of his life.'
On his TikTok page, Larson often shared stories about his time in the U.S. Army, where he was a staff sergeant. But many of his grandkids didn't hear these stories growing up.
'He wasn't comfortable talking about it,' his grandson Mike Larson said. 'Because, let's be honest, back in his day, no one talked about PTSD ... Once he started opening up, I think it helped him.'
Mike Larson said he believed his grandfather's presence on TikTok allowed other veterans to accept that there is a life after their military service. He recounted a time at Disneyland, when a man serving in the Marine Corps hovered around Jake and his family, who were preparing for a photo shoot. Mike Larson said he recognized that the man was in the service and offered to introduce him to his grandfather.
After a hearty conversation, the man reached out his hand, and Larson immediately pulled him into a big hug. Mike said he saw tears streaming down the Marine's face.
'People don't realize that, you never know what that guy was going through,' Mike said, breaking down in tears. 'That one conversation could've saved that guy's life.'
Larson's online presence also means that his family can return to his posts and relive his stories and warmth documented in hundreds of videos.
Paulson said that when the family returned from the hospital after Larson's death, she heard her oldest child crying on the couch. He had been rewatching Larson's TikTok videos.
'I think you can't sum it up in any other way,' Mike said. 'He was the luckiest man alive.'
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The current concern is a reporter in Paddy's Pub who Frank believes is there because they dumped 500 gallons of baby oil and 200 Paddy's Pub T-shirts into the Schuylkill River. How did that happen? Flashback time! 'Paddysgate' started several weeks ago when Frank found a jug out back, arguably the dumbest inciting event for one of his schemes to date. After arguing over how to musically use the jug, and a bit of clawing each other's faces, the Gang got their own individual jugs, but they were full of water. How do you get rid of water? Charlie insists it can't be used to clean the bar and it's probably not smart to start a fire, so they begin the slow process of drinking it and talk about the art of braising, evidence disposal, baby oil, and even the Cybertruck. And then there's the big question of 2025: 'What are your thoughts on slap fighting?' After a few days of slapping within the group, Mac has a business idea: 'professional slap fighting.' They stage these bouts in the bar, which attracts a crowd. But the gang has never come up with a good idea they couldn't destroy, often through their horniness. So Dennis gives an amazing speech about how slap fighting isn't erotic enough and turns it into a pitch about an unfulfilled future: 'We were promised women going wild.' Before you know it, Paddy's has moved from burly dudes to bikinis and baby oil, although most of the women don't go for the latter. And to entice a higher quality of contestant, they decide to give away a prize: a Cybertruck. But they become obsessed with Elon's dumb car and decide they want to keep it for themselves, forcing Dee to become a ringer in the competition. It might have worked if Charlie hadn't fallen back on some bad habits. He goes to find the Waitress (Day's wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellis), offering to 'oil' her so she can win the car. And there's a truly funny exchange in which she asks if he's stalking her again. 'No, that's not my thing,' he says. 'Flirting maybe.' It's a clever nod to a conversation around the show regarding Charlie's aggressive behavior, especially in early seasons, that also underlines his complete lack of self-awareness. As the Waitress is living in her car, she jumps at the chance to upgrade her domicile, slapping the shit out of Dee before discovering they're not actually giving away a Tesla. When she threatens to go to the police, Frank and company dispose of the evidence, but Charlie reveals that Frank's urgency is because he had crossed the 'girls gone wild' line and was staging an orgy in the basement. After the blame game is complete, the Gang comes up with a 'no comment'—only to discover that the sole customer in Paddy's Pub isn't a reporter. She's the sex worker for Frank's orgy. Stray observations • Never using Elon's actual name is wonderful—you know he would have loved being referred to as something other than 'The Space Nerd'—as is Dee's revelation that she thinks the Cybertruck is ugly. She is not wrong. • Playing 'In the Hall Of The Mountain King' while Dee slaps the sanity out of people is a season highlight. • Charlie has so many good lines this week, including 'They're too dry! And so they don't feel wild!' and 'How do you get the oil out of the baby?' • Mary Elizabeth Ellis has been in at least one episode of every season of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and we still don't know her character's name. The Gang does! They revealed recently on their podcast that not only did she originally have a name they still know but explain why they will probably never reveal it. It's a good watch. More from A.V. Club 3 new songs and 3 new albums to check out this weekend E! 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