Latest news with #JakeLarson
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Papa Jake' dies at 102
The American war veteran Jake Larson has died at the age of 102, as reported by DW. Known to his 1.2 million followers on TikTok as "Papa Jake," he captivated both young and old with his stories. In a statement on his social media accounts, his granddaughter McKaela Larson wrote that he died peacefully on July 17, and was "even cracking jokes 'til the very end." Larson was known for his quick smile and how he combined humorous anecdotes with somber reminders about the horrors of war. He had been living in Lafayette, California. A self-described Minnesota farm boy, he gained a huge following online in later life by sharing stories of WWII. He was born on December 20, 1922 in Owatonna, Minnesota. In 1938, while lying about his age, Larson enlisted in the National Guard at 15 years old. In 1942, he was stationed in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy. Larson was among the nearly 160,000 Allied Troops who stormed Normandy's beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He survived machine gunfire when he landed on Omaha Beach. "We are the lucky ones," Larson told the Associated Press at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, "They had no family. We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive." He had been awarded the Bronze Star, and French Legion of Honour for his service. Larson often called himself "the luckiest man in the world," and expressed awe at the attention he received. "I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok," he told AP in 2023. "I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it came about."
Local France
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Local France
American D-Day veteran and TikTok star dies aged 102
Towns in the French region of Normandy have been paying tribute to one of the lasting surviving veterans of the D-Day landings - Jake Larson, known to millions on social media due to his Story time with Papa Jake account, where he shared his memories of World War II. Larson was one of around 160,000 American soldiers who took part in the D-Day landings in northern France in 1944, landing on Omaha beach. His grand-daughter McKaela Larson announced that he had died aged 102 on July 17th, adding that he was "making jokes until the end". Advertisement Born on December 20th 1922 in Owatonna, Minnesota, Jake Larson joined the National Guard in 1938, lying about his age as he was only 15 at the time. In 1942, he was sent overseas and became an operations sergeant, later preparing plans for the Normandy landings. After D-Day he took part in the continued Allied campaign to liberate France and participated in the Battle of Ardennes. He regularly travelled to France to take part in the commemorations of the landings on June 6th, and had been awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French government. In recent years he began sharing his war stories, often told with humour, on a TikTok account which had 1.2 million followers. In 2023 he told Associated Press "I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok. I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it just happened."
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Papa Jake, WWII veteran turned TikTok star, dies at 102, granddaughter says
Jake Larson, the 102-year-old veteran who garnered over a million followers online as "Papa Jake," died over the weekend, his family confirmed. "Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young," McKaela Larson, Papa Jake's granddaughter, wrote in a post on his TikTok. "Please know, he went peacefully and was even cracking jokes til the very end." Papa Jake, who recently won an Emmy for his interview with journalist Christiane Amanpour, was a D-Day veteran who shared his stories on TikTok to his 1.2 million followers. "When the time is right, I will continue to share Papa Jake's stories and keep his memory alive, " McKaela Larson stated. "We appreciate all the kind words and posts. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest." Who was Papa Jake? Jake Larson, known as Papa Jake, was a TikToker and veteran who turned 102 in December, according to his posts. His account used the handle @storytimewithpapajake. Larson shared stories on social media of his time in the army during World War II. In a video posted to TikTok, the veteran stated that he was 21 years old when he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He said he knew about where the armed forces were landing during D-Day because he worked on the top-secret invasion. "The highest form of secrecy you could get," Larson said. "What an honor for a county boy." He also shared special moments with his family, like when he walked his granddaughter, McKaela, down the aisle in February. "At 102 years old, I am blessed to be able to walk my Granddaughter McKaela down the aisle," he wrote in the post on TikTok. His videos garnered over 11 million likes, and he reached over a million followers in 2025. His family has asked for privacy while they grieve and "process this loss." Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
TikTok star with millions of followers who stormed D-Day beaches dies aged 102
Becoming a sensation on TikTok, World War Two veteran Jake Larson, also known as Papa Jake, who avoided machine gun fire when storming the beach on D-Day, has died aged 102 A much-loved World War Two veteran turned social media star who gathered more than a million followers has died aged 102. Tributes from around the world have flooded in for Jake Larson, best known as Papa Jake, after his granddaughter McKaela Larson broke the news on TikTok. Uploading the post on Saturday, July 18, she wrote: 'Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young. 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. 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.' In January 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland, where he was promoted to operations sergeant and became a part of the planning for Operation Overlord - the D-Day landings. Jake was then among the Allied troops on the day who stormed the beaches of France in 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach before attacking the Nazi German forces and helping to end the war a year later. Speaking to the Associated Press last month for the D-Day anniversary, Jake said:" We are the lucky ones. They had no family. We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive." In the years that followed, he'd head back to t hose beaches in Normandy on several occasions, always embracing fellow veterans commemorating those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. However, more than 80 years later, the Minnesota native, born December 20, 1922, embraced the digital era, where he managed to capture the hearts of a whole new generation. Creating videos about Memorial Day celebrations, stories from World War Two, and even a trip to Disney Land, the veterans' videos have been viewed tens of millions of times. He worked with his granddaughter to make many of the videos, with Jake having previously said: "I didn't even know what TikTok was until my granddaughter sent it to me one day," Jake Larson said when asked about the app. Just three weeks ago, Papa Jake achieved another accolade, co-winning an Emmy Award with journalist Christiane Amanpour for a captivating interview they conducted marking last year's 80th anniversary of D-Day. After the news broke of his passing, Christiane posted: 'So sorry to hear this. They really don't make them like Jake Larson anymore. The sacrifices he made with his Band of Brothers in WWII, and the joy he lived throughout his long life, offer an example to us all. RIP' While Normandy's Overlord Museum wrote: ' Papa Jake was more than a soldier – he was an extraordinary witness and a messenger of remembrance.'
DW
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- DW
'Papa Jake' Larson, TikTok star and WWII vet, dies at 102 – DW – 07/21/2025
Jake Larson, known as 'Papa Jake,' has died. The WWII veteran shot to fame on TikTok as he shared world war stories to millions. He was 102 years old. The American war veteran Jake Larson, has died at the age of 102. Known to his 1.2 million followers on TikTok as "Papa Jake", he captivated both young and old with his stories. In a statement on his social media accounts, his granddaughter McKaela Larson wrote that he died peacefully on 17th July, and was "even cracking jokes 'til the very end." Jake was known for his quick smile and how he combined humourous anecdotes with somber reminders about the horrors of war. He had been living in Lafayette, California. A self-described Minnesota farm boy, Jake Larson gained a huge following online in later life by sharing stories of WWII. He was born on 20th December 1922 in Owatonna Minesota. In 1938, while lying about his age, Larson enlisted in the National Guard at 15 years old. In 1942, he was stationed in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy. Larson was among the nearly 160,000 Allied Troops who stormed Normandy's beaches on D-Day, 6th June 1944. He survived machine gunfire when he landed on Omaha beach. "We are the lucky ones," Jake told theAssociated Press at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, "They had no family. We are their family. We have the responsibility to honor these guys who gave us a chance to be alive" He had been awarded the Bronze Star, and French Legion of Honour for his service. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Jake often called himself "the luckiest man in the world," and expressed awe at the attention he received. "I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok," he told AP in 2023. "I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it came about." Just three weeks ago, he co-won an Emmy with British-Iranian journalist Christiane Amanpour for their interview marking last year's 80th anniversary of D-Day. Followers across the USA, and towns around Normandy are paying tribute to "Papa Jake". He had visited Normandy several times over the last years. The official page for tourism in Normandy said he "will never be forgotten" McKaela Larson asked that her family be given privacy, but said when the time is right, she will continue to "share Papa Jake's stories and keep his memory alive" "As Papa would say, love you all the mostest," she wrote.
