Jake Larson, a 102-year-old World War II veteran who gained over 1.2 million followers on TikTok, has passed away, as announced by his granddaughter on social media.
Adored on the internet as “Papa Jake,” Larson was instrumental in planning the D-Day invasion and took part in the assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. His unexpected rise to social media fame began when his granddaughter launched a TikTok account for him, which was later accompanied by his autobiography.
“Our cherished Papa Jake left us on July 17th at the age of 102. Please know he departed peacefully and was making jokes until the very end,” shared his granddaughter, McKaela Larson, on Instagram. “During this time, my family and I request some privacy as we come to terms with this loss.”
“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,” she added. “We appreciate all the kind words and posts. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest.”
“We are the lucky ones,” 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.
“They had no family. We are their family. We have the responsibility to honor these guys who gave us a chance to be alive.”
Jake Larson, who was the operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for Operation Overlord, arrives at the Deauville-Normandie Airport in Saint-Gatien-des-Bois, northwestern France, on June 2, 2022. (SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)
Larson earlier this month shared a message with Fox News Digital on Independence Day about the importance of freedom.
“God bless all those guys that served, and they served the ultimate,” Larson told Fox News Digital from his home in Lafayette, Calif., on the Fourth of July. “Their souls are looking down at me now.”
“Every time I talk, I like to remind people those guys upstairs looking down at us, they’re the heroes… None of us every thought we’d be heroes.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks with 102-year-old WWII and D-Day veteran Jake Larson, also known as “Papa Jake”, after a memorial ceremony at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, north-western France, on June 6, 2025. (LOU BENOIST/AFP via Getty Images)
Tributes from the Zac Brown Brand, Unsubscribe Podcast and podcaster and retired Navy officer, Jacko Willink, have been shared to Larson’s Instagram account’s stories.
