D-Day veteran "Papa Jake" Larson who became TikTok star dies aged 102
"Papa Jake" Larson survived German gunfire in the June 1944 landings and then garnered 1.2million followers sharing stories on TikTok to commemorate Second World War and his fallen comrades.
Sharing the news of his death on the platform that found his legions of new fans, 'Story time with Papa Jake', his granddaughter McKaela Larson said he "went peacefully and was even cracking jokes 'til the very end".
"I am so thankful to have shared my Papa Jake with you all," she continued. "You meant the world to him.
"When the time is right, I will continue to share Papa Jake's stories and keep his memory alive. We appreciate all the kind words and posts. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest."
Born on 20 December 1922 in Minnesota, US, Larson enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, lying about his age as he was only 15 at the time. In 1942, four years later, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland.
He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy.
He was among the nearly 160,000 Allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach.
"We are the lucky ones," Larson told The Associated Press (AP) on the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, speaking amid the immaculate rows of graves at the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach.
"We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive."
His service during the war earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honour award.
In his TikTok posts and interviews, Larson combined humorous anecdotes with sombre reminders about the horrors of war.
In the wake of his death, small-town museums and groups around Normandy that work to honour D-Day heroes shared tributes to Larson, one of their most loyal visitors.
Read more:D-Day in numbers'An act of love saved my grandpop'
"He came every year to the museum, with his smile, his humility and his tales that touched all generations," the Overlord Museum posted on Facebook.
"His stories will continue to live. Rest in peace Papa Jake."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Piers Morgan Says Late-Night Hosts Are 'Hyper-Partisan Activist Hacks For The Democrats' & It's 'No Wonder' Stephen Colbert 'Got Canned'
While Stephen Colbert has received plenty of support from fellow television mainstays and late-night hosts following the unceremonious cancellation of The Late Show, Piers Morgan isn't among them. Earlier today, the British media personality took to X to slam Colbert and other longtime late-night hosts, alleging these figures were nothing more than puppets for the Democratic Party. More from Deadline Donald Trump Repeats False Claim Beyoncé Was Paid $11 Million To Endorse Kamala Harris; Calls To Prosecute Singer, Oprah & Al Sharpton Jay Leno Questions Why Late-Night Hosts "Alienate" Half Their Audience: "Get To The Joke" Stephen Colbert Praises 'South Park's Naked AI Trump PSA: "An Important Message Of Hope" 'This is so damning,' Morgan wrote alongside a cover of New York Post that outlined the political leanings of Colbert's guests, which skewed toward the left. 'Most of America's biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats — a party that's rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.' Morgan, who has alternately supported and critiqued president Donald Trump and does not consider himself right-wing, continued his commentary in several other tweets, beginning with an endorsement of Jay Leno's recent comments questioning why late-night hosts would 'alienate' half their audience by 'cozying too much to one side or the other.' The host of YouTube's Piers Morgan Uncensored continued in another tweet, this time aimed at fellow U.K.-hailing peer John Oliver: 'UPDATE: Just watched a drooling @60Minutes segment tonight about John Oliver who was proud of telling his viewers not to vote for Trump at last election. He told them to vote for Kamala Harris instead. That's not comedy, it's partisan political activism.' And, when responding to a tweet by political commentator and MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen, Morgan stated, 'Trump didn't cancel Colbert… he cancelled himself with poor ratings, huge costs, and boring viewers with anti-Trump bias.' Just a couple days after Stephen Colbert ripped into parent company Paramount's $16 million settlement with president Donald Trump on the air — a move he likened to a 'big fat bribe' aimed to grease the Federal Trade Commission's approval of a year-long pending merger between Paramount Global and David Ellison's Skydance Media — he revealed to audiences that CBS would be axing The Late Show, the franchise first begun by host David Letterman in 1993. Executives defended the cancellation, calling it 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night' that 'is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.' Since Colbert made the shocking revelation public July 17, Trump has vocally celebrated the show's retiring, as a majority of the show's writers represented by the Writers Guild of America have called on New York State Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation into 'potential wrongdoing' at Paramount. This comes as a number of Senate Democrats, like Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, made statements defending constituents' right to know if the series was canceled due to political reasons. In additional fallout, protesters gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City where Colbert tapes to push back against the decision. As for Colbert himself, he has made it clear that he will not go gentle into that good night, telling Trump to 'go f— himself.' He added in the July 21 episode of his show, 'But [CBS] made one mistake. They left me alive. Now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off. I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump. I don't care for him. Doesn't have the skillset to be president.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About Season 3 Of 'Euphoria' So Far
Motor 1
17 minutes ago
- Motor 1
‘I Charge Them More Every Single Time:' Tech Reveals 1 Quality Guaranteed to Make Your Mechanic Hate You
A mechanic who goes by Claw Boss (@reelclawboss) on Instagram shared a customer pet peeve: Asking non-stop questions while he works. And it seems like there are more than a few other folks in the craft who share his mindset. The auto tech's short clip is set to the tune of a song that repeatedly implores a person to 'shut the [expletive] up,' as part of its hook. Pairing this tune with the text overlay in their clip, along with a group of dancing chickens, intones that the service tech isn't a fan of this particular client interaction. 'We all have that one customer. Stands in the shop while you're working on their car and won't stop asking questions,' he captions Commenters Were Divided Folks had differing opinions on the clients they render service to in their respective auto businesses. One person remarked that a patron has the right to ask questions since they're the one paying for their car to be fixed. 'Customer's car, customer's paying,' one said. However, there was another Instagram user who seemed to concur with Claw Boss's commentary on the chatty individuals who roll into his shop. They said, 'Best part of our shop: Only staff allowed in shop.' Another person, who said that they were an auto tech themselves, echoed the aforementioned sentiment. According to them, they've never been employed in an automotive service center that allowed customers to watch the work techs were doing. 'Never in my life have I seen a shop allow customers in the shop,' they penned. 'I be on the other side of the glass like *hey, did you make sure to torq that bolt!? While I smoke my dart and continue to stare. Lol all jokes aside I do enjoy watching and learning.' But this didn't appear to be par the course for all folks getting their cars fixed. One person who got their vehicle's air conditioning system repaired expressed that they were grateful to watch their mechanic fix the issue. Moreover, they said the tech was forthcoming about the work he was completing. 'My mechanic let me watch him do my AC for my truck. I asked a few questions and he didn't mind. He seemed to like that I was trying to learn,' they said. Other Mechanics Sound Off It seems like Claw Boss wasn't the only service tech who took to social media to decry this specific customer behavior. YouTuber Barricade Garage also professed he wasn't too fond of someone looking over his shoulder while he was working on a car. In a caption for his video that touches on this same topic, he writes, 'most mechanics usually want to be left unbothered when working on your vehicle.' Additionally, Redditors in this r/MechanicAdvice post also discussed this same client phenomenon. The thread's original poster wanted to know if it was considered poor manners on his part to watch the tech replace the tires on his vehicle. One person remarked that the practice is 'a touchy subject with a lot of shops,' due to how different customers react to the work being performed on their vehicle. They said that customers might try to nickel-and-dime labor time, not considering that a mechanic who has accrued decades of experiencing fixing problems is able to rectify a problem more quickly than a less experienced tech. Thus, their complaints about inaccurate labor times are invalidated. To drive this point home, they shared an anecdote about a client who went 'ballistic' for being billed for 30 minutes of labor on a muffler replacement. They said the tech swapped out the component in around five minutes and asked why they were charged for 30 minutes of labor instead. Following this, the Reddit user explained to the customer, 'The guy who just put your muffler on has almost 30 years' exhaust experience. And has it down to an art. If I'd known you wanted to wait longer I would have done it myself - I'm a diagnostic tech and really bad at exhaust. It takes me forever,' they wrote. Some Mechanics Don't Mind Watchful Customers Another commenter in the same Reddit thread said it all boils down to the type of person who is watching them perform their work. This user said, 'I don't mind people watching because they are curious.' Although, when they begin to chime in with their own repair strategies, or when they reference other handy people they know, that's when they begin to take issue with sideline commentary. 'Don't call me a liar, and don't bring it to me to fix it if you trust [someone else] so much,' they penned. In this Quora post, some auto techs argued that barring customers from entering the shop area boils down to potential safety concerns. They said that due to heavy machinery, car lifts, and an array of moving parts, clients could be at risk of bodily harm. In order to mitigate these possible incidents from occurring and any legal actions that could be levied against the shop, many service centers will bar folks from watching their cars being worked on. Motor1 has reached out to the Claw Boss via Instagram direct message for further comment. Now Trending 'That's Exactly Why:' Florida Driver Gets Stuck Behind Toyota That Won't Turn on Green Light. She Says It's an Insurance Scam 'Don't Feel Comfortable Allowing You:' Colorado Woman Tells Discount Tire She Can't Afford Tires. Their Reply Is Shocking Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bill Clinton wrote a birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein, according to bombshell report
Jeffrey Epstein's birthday album included a letter from former President Bill Clinton, according to a new report. Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019, has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks after the Justice Department and FBI released a memo earlier this month stating there was never any Epstein client list of powerful people who may have participated in his crimes. During the fallout from the memo, President Donald Trump's past relationship with Epstein has been scrutinized, and last week, The Wall Street Journal released a report claiming the president had given Epstein a bawdy birthday letter, which reportedly included a drawing of a naked woman, as part of a leather-bound book Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell prepared for his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has denied authoring any such letter and is suing the WSJ, its parent company and owner Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion. Now, the WSJ has dropped another bombshell, claiming former President Clinton wrote a note to Epstein also included in the birthday album. According to the report released Thursday, Clinton had handwritten a single paragraph in the album, which read, 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.' A Clinton spokesman declined to comment to the WSJ on the reporting and instead referred to a previous statement saying the former president's association with Epstein ended more than a decade before he was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. The statement also said Clinton didn't know about Epstein's crimes, the WSJ reports. The Independent has reached out to Clinton's representative for comment. Actor Kevin Spacey, who was previously acquitted of sexual offense allegations, recalled in a June 2024 interview with journalist Piers Morgan that he had flown on Epstein's jet with the late financier, Clinton and a group of 'young girls.' Spacey said he had been invited by Clinton on a humanitarian trip to Africa in 2002. Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing. The WSJ report Thursday mentioned several other high-profile names that sent messages to be included in the Epstein birthday book. The Independent has not reviewed or separately verified the so-called birthday book. The WSJ previously reported Trump's birthday letter to Epstein had included a note that read: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' On Truth Social, Trump wrote in response to the report, 'The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I'm going to sue his ass off, and that of his third-rate newspaper.' Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, but reportedly cut ties before Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. While Trump has not been accused of any formal wrongdoing or charged with any crime, his proximity to Epstein, someone he once called a friend, has heightened conspiracy theories that the government is withholding documents that could reveal embarrassing information about high-profile individuals. In announcing his $10 billion defamation suit filed Friday against the WSJ, Trump wrote on Truth Social, 'This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media.' A spokesperson for WSJ publisher Dow Jones said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press, 'We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.'
