Jake Larson, World War II veteran turned TikTok star, dead at 102
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WWII veteran and TikTok star Papa Jake dies
Papa Jake, whose real name was Jake Larson, was 102. The World War II veteran was famous for his infectious spirit. “I came through six battles without a scratch,” Larson told KARE 11 back in 2023. “We were over there to kick Hitler’s ass out of Europe, to get him out of France, that was our mission,” he said.
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Papa Jake, whose real name was Jake Larson, was 102.
OWATONNA, Minn. — Editor’s Note: The above video first aired on 8/23/2025.
A Minnesota native who lived his final years in California and had more than one million followers on TikTok died on Thursday, according to his granddaughter.
Papa Jake, whose real name was Jake Larson, was 102.
The World War II veteran was famous for his infectious spirit. His life started on the family farm just outside the city of Hope. It could have ended on D-Day when he stormed Omaha Beach back in 1944.
“I came through six battles without a scratch,” Larson told KARE 11 back in 2023. “I’m the only one still alive; out of all those people, think of that, I’m the only one still alive.”
He was able to join the National Guard only because he lied about his age, enlisting at just 15 years old.
“We were over there to kick Hitler’s ass out of Europe, to get him out of France, that was our mission,” said Larson, who calls himself the luckiest man in the world.
He became a social media sensation during the pandemic.
He even wrote a book in what the co-writer says is an “inspiring story, written in a simple, no-nonsense manner infused with humor and honesty.”
Larson is a stand-out guy who stood up for a country with a faithful following that now includes future generations — just don’t call him a hero.
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D-Day hero turned TikTok star ‘Papa Jake’ dies at 102 still cracking jokes to the end
D-Day hero turned TikTok star ‘Papa Jake’ dies at 102 still cracking jokes to the end. Larson served in the National Guard and aided in the D-Day mission on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France. The centenarian amassed a huge following on social media, boasting over a million followers on TikTok under the username @storytimewithpapajake. His family shared that he peacefully passed on Thursday in a post onsocial media. He told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that he lied about his age in order to enlist in the national Guard when he was 15 years old, and that he doesn’t think he was a hero in the fight against the Nazi regime.
Jake Larson, 102, a World War II veteran who boasted over a million followers on TikTok, died Thursday
U.S. veteran Jake Larson, also known as “Papa Jake”, died at age 102
Jake Larson, the World War II veteran and TikTok star known as ‘Papa Jake,’ died Thursday at age 102.
Larson served in the National Guard and aided in the D-Day mission on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France, where the Allied forces liberated Western Europe from Nazi occupation in what is considered the largest seaborne invasion in history.
The centenarian amassed a huge following on social media, boasting over a million followers on TikTok under the username @storytimewithpapajake, and rubbed shoulders with top members of the Trump administration, including U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, for his helping hand in the major historic event.
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His family shared that he peacefully passed on Thursday in a post on social media.
“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,” his granddaughter McKaela Larson said.
His daughter Karlan also told CNN that her father “had an epic, epic life.”
In an Emmy award-winning interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the site of the historic seaborne military operation, Larson shared that he lied about his age in order to enlist in the National Guard when he was 15 years old.
During the interview, the now-wheelchair-bound veteran said that he remembers the D-Day Landing “like it was yesterday.”
“I got off the landing craft and had water right up to my chin,” he told CNN. “We were all kids.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks with U.S. veteran Jake Larson
Echoing that sentiment, the humble veteran shared that while everyone “definitely knew” what was at stake in fighting the Nazi regime, he doesn’t view himself as exceptional.
“I don’t think I was a hero,” he said of his role in D-Day. “I was just like anybody else. We were all in this together.
However, he expressed pride in helping to defeat the Nazi’s terrorist regime.
“Oh, definitely. That we knew. Every one of us was prepared to give our lives to kick Hitler’s ass out of Europe. … And we did.”
Just over three weeks ago, Amanpour won an Emmy for her interview with Larson, an honor she shared with him.
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After receiving the news about CNN winning an Emmy for their interview only about three weeks ago, Larson said via video: “It’s phenomenal. And here I am, little country boy that joins the infantry at 15 years old and I come here now, 102, going on 103 and I’m winning something like this? There is a God.”
Jake Larson, World War II veteran turned TikTok star, dead at 102
Larson was a member of the nation’s “Greatest Generation.” He gained a loyal following on social media as a centenarian. “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,” his daughter says. He told CNN he was just 15 years old when he enlisted in the National Guard, lying about his age at the time. He said he was there to tell the stories of his many friends who died during the invasion.
Jake Larson, the World War II veteran and social media star known as “Papa Jake,” has died, his granddaughter posted on his social media accounts Saturday. He was 102.
“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,” granddaughter McKaela Larson said in the posts.
A member of the nation’s “Greatest Generation,” Larson gained a loyal following on social media as a centenarian, posting as @storytimewithpapajake on TikTok, where he racked up more than 1 million followers with his stories about his life and military service.
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,” he told CNN. “We were all kids.”
Larson told Amanpour he was just 15 years old when he enlisted in the National Guard — lying about his age at the time.
“I don’t think I was a hero. I was just like anybody else. We were all in this together,” he said, adding he was there to tell the stories of his many friends who died during the invasion that turned the tide of the war.
Asked by Amanpour whether he and other soldiers knew what they were fighting for at the time, Larson said, “Oh, definitely. That we knew. Every one of us was prepared to give our life to kick Hitler’s ass out of Europe. … And we did.”
Just over three weeks ago, Amanpour won an Emmy for her interview with Larson, an honor she shared with him.
He reacted to the award in a video sent to Amanpour: “It’s phenomenal. And here I am, little country boy that joins the infantry at 15 years old and I come here now, 102, going on 103 and I’m winning something like this? There is a God.”
“My dad had an epic, epic life,” his son, Karlan Larson said in a brief phone interview with CNN.
His father’s Emmy is “proudly displayed” in his living room, which Karlan Larson told CNN would be “handed down to family members — the grandkids will have to figure out a schedule.”
Jake Larson was “overjoyed” that Amanpour shared her statue with him, his son said.