WWII veteran and TikTok star Papa Jake dies
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
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.
Example video title will go here for this video
To stream KARE 11 on your phone, you need the KARE 11 app.
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.