A D-Day veteran who grew to become a social media star in his later years has died on the age of 102.
“Papa Jake” Larson survived German gunfire within the June 1944 landings after which garnered 1.2million followers sharing tales on TikTok to commemorate Second World Struggle and his fallen comrades.
“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 correct, I’ll proceed to share Papa Jake’s tales and maintain his reminiscence alive. We admire all the type phrases and posts. As Papa would say, love you all of the mostest.”
Born on 20 December 1922 in Minnesota, US, Larson enlisted within the Nationwide Guard in 1938, mendacity about his age as he was solely 15 on the time. In 1942, 4 years later, he was despatched abroad and was stationed in Northern Eire.
He grew to become operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy.
He was among the many almost 160,000 Allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, surviving machine-gun hearth when he landed on Omaha Seashore.
“We are the lucky ones,” Larson advised The Related Press (AP) on the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, talking amid the stainless rows of graves on the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Seashore.
“We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive.”
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Larson greets schoolchildren throughout a go to in June 2025 to Colleville-sur-Mer, to the Normandy American Cemetery. Pic: AP
His service through the warfare earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honour award.
In his TikTok posts and interviews, Larson mixed humorous anecdotes with sombre reminders concerning the horrors of warfare.
Within the wake of his demise, small-town museums and teams round Normandy that work to honour D-Day heroes shared tributes to Larson, one in every of their most loyal guests.
Picture:
Larson died aged 102. Pic: AP
“He came every year to the museum, with his smile, his humility and his tales that touched all generations,” the Overlord Museum posted on Fb.
“His stories will continue to live. Rest in peace Papa Jake.”
