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The Irish Sun
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
D-Day veteran war hero and TikTok star who survived German gunfire on Normandy beaches dies aged 102
A D-DAY veteran war hero who became a TikTok sensation late in life has died aged 102. Papa Jake Larson survived German gunfire on Normandy beaches in 1944 and then gained over 1.2 million followers by sharing stories to commemorate World War II and his fallen comrades. Advertisement 4 D-Day veteran Jake Larson poses before going for a ride in the 'The Spirit of Benovia' World War II-era aircraft in 2019 Credit: AP 4 Larson is greeted by pilot Joe Anderson, left, before going for a ride in the aircraft Credit: AP:Associated Press 4 World War II veteran Jake Larson meets youths during ceremonies at the US cemetery to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings Credit: AP The war hero's grieving granddaughter McKaela announced his death on social media, sharing how he passed "peacefully" on Thursday. She wrote: "An animated speaker who charmed strangers young and old with his quick smile and generous hugs, the self-described country boy from Minnesota was cracking jokes til the end." McKaela added: "As Papa would say, love you all the mostest." Tributes have poured into his Story Time with Papa Jake TikTok account. Advertisement read more news Meanwhile towns around Normandy, still grateful to Allied forces who helped defeat the occupying Nazis in World War II, paid him homage too. Born in 1922, in Owatonna, Minnesota, Larson enlisted in the National Guard in 1938. The war hero had lied about his age as he was just 15 years old at the time. In 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland before becoming operations sergeant and assembling the planning books for the invasion of Normandy. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Live Blog He was among the nearly 160,000 brave allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, June 6, 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach. Larson said at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June: "We are the lucky ones. We are their family . We have the responsibility to honor these guys who gave us a chance to be alive." Nazi Hunters Thomas Will Ludwigsburg Germany Robin Perrie It represents one of the defining moments of the war and of evil Hitler's defeat. Larson's incredible service earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honor award. Advertisement In recent years, Larson made repeated trips to Normandy for D-Day commemorations and at every stop. And since gaining social media popularity too, Papa Jake was greeted by people asking for a selfie - but offered big hugs instead. One memorable encounter came in 2023, when he came across Bill Gladden, a then-99-year-old British veteran who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle. He told Gladden as they held hands: "I want to give you a hug, thank you. I got tears in my eyes. We were meant to meet." Advertisement Gladden passed away the following year. In his TikTok posts that have accumulated hundreds of thousands of views and likes, Larson combined humorous anecdotes with somber reminders about the horrors of war. Speaking of his social media fame in 2023, he said: "I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok. I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it came about." Larson has previously refused to call himself a "hero" and asked world leaders to "make peace not war". Advertisement 4 Larson talks to a girl who wears an American flag around her neck during a gathering in preparation of the 79th D-Day anniversary in La Fiere Credit: AP
Boston Globe
20-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
D-Day veteran and TikTok star ‘Papa Jake' Larson dies at 102
'As Papa would say, love you all the mostest,' his granddaughter posted on his social media accounts. Advertisement Mr. Larson in 2019, before going for a ride in the "The Spirit of Benovia" World War II-era aircraft in Oakland, Calif. Eric Risberg/Associated Press Born Dec. 20, 1922, in Owatonna, Minn., Mr. Larson enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, lying about his age since he was only 15. In 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland. He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He was among the nearly 160,000 Allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, June 6, 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach. He made it unhurt to the bluffs that overlook the beach, then studded with German gun emplacements. 'We are the lucky ones,' Mr. Larson told The Associated Press at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, speaking amid the immaculate rows of graves at the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. Advertisement 'We are their family. We have the responsibility to honor these guys who gave us a chance to be alive.' He advanced on to participate in the Battle of the Bulge, a grueling month-long fight in Belgium and Luxembourg that was one of the defining moments of the war and of Hitler's defeat. His service earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honor award. In recent years, he made repeated trips to Normandy for D-Day commemorations — and at every stop, 'Papa Jake' was greeted by people asking for a selfie. In return, he offered up a big hug. One memorable encounter came in 2023, when he came across Bill Gladden, a then-99-year-old British veteran who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle. 'I want to give you a hug, thank you. I got tears in my eyes. We were meant to meet,' Mr. Larson told Gladden, as their handsclasped tightly. Gladden died the following year. In his TikTok posts and interviews, Mr. Larson combined humorous anecdotes with somber reminders about the horrors of war. In addition to the invasion of Normandy, Mr. Larson fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Eric Risberg/Associated Press Reflecting to AP on the three years he was in Europe, Larson said he is 'no hero.' Speaking in 2024, he also had a message to world leaders: 'Make peace not war.' He often called himself 'the luckiest man in the world,' and expressed awe at all the attention he was getting. 'I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok,' he said in 2023. Small-town museums and groups around Normandy that work to honor D-Day's heroes and fallen shared tributes online. Advertisement 'He was an exceptional witness and bearer of memory,' the Overlord Museum posted on Facebook. 'He came every year to the museum, with his smile, his humility and his tales that touched all generations. His stories will continue to live. Rest in peace Papa Jake,' it read.
