Jake Larson, the World War II veteran and social media star known as “Papa Jake,” has died at 102.
According to CNN, Larson’s granddaughter announced his death in a post on his social media accounts Saturday.
Granddaughter McKaela Larson wrote, “Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young. Please know, he went peacefully and was even cracking jokes til the very end."
A member of the nation’s “Greatest Generation,” gained a loyal following on social media as a centenarian, posting as @storytimewithpapajake on TikTok, where he had more than 1 million followers.
He used to share stories about his life and military service with his followers.
CNN’s Christiane Amanpour interviewed Larson in Normandy, France, in June 2024 on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Sitting in a wheelchair just steps away from the shoreline, he said he remembered the invasion “like it was yesterday. I got off the landing craft and had water right up to my chin. “We were all kids.”
He told Amanpour he was just 15 years old when he enlisted in the National Guard, lying about his age at the time.
Notably, Larson was among the Allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, June 6, 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach.
