July 20 (UPI) — A World War II veteran who became a social media sensation and captivated millions of people with his stories has died at the age of 102.
Jake Larson, who became known as “Papa Jake,” died “peacefully and was cracking jokes til the very end,” her granddaughter, Mikaela Larson, said in a TikTok post Saturday.
“I am so thankful to have shared my Papa Jake with you all,” Makaela Larson said in her post. “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.”
Jake Larson was born in Owatonna, Minn. on Dec. 20, 1922 and joined the National Guard when he was age 15 by claiming that he was 18. He was assigned to the U.S. Army’s 135th Infantry Regiment in the 34th Infantry Division, known as the “Red Bull.”
He was deployed to Ireland during WWII, and then shipped to June 6, 1944, one of 34,000 Allied soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, which was occupied by Germany.
“Papa Jake” gained a worldwide following on social media with the help of his family, and later created a TikTok page with the “@storytimewithpapajake” handle, where his appeal grew to more than 1.2 million followers, and where his posts have garnered more than 11 million likes. He also has more than 16,000 YouTube subscribers.
Many of his social media posts recounted his encounters on Omaha Beach, where he escaped enemy machine gun fire in addition to other recollections of fighting advancing German soldiers.
“It seemed like the landing was an eternity, with all the firing going on….I can’t describe it. And people would say ‘Were you scared?’ I was scared of stepping on a landmine, and that’s what I was trying to prevent,” he said in a video posted by the U.S. Army last month.
“I was 5 foot 7 at that time. I weighed 120 pounds and I said, “Thank God the Germans aren’t good at shooting toothpicks.”
At least 2,400 hundred Americans died during the Normandy invasion.
“There’s going to be casualties but we’re willing to risk that,” he said in the video. “We had to get this done. We have to relieve the world of this guy called Hitler.”
Larson was the recipient of a Bronze star from the U.S. Army Legion of Honor, which is France’s highest honor. An interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour won an Emmy Award in June.
Larson received a Bronze star from the U.S. Army and the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor. His interview on D-Day by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour won an Emmy award in June.