Papa Jake' dies at 102

The American war veteran Jake Larson has died at the age of 102, as reported by DW.

Known to his 1.2 million followers on TikTok as "Papa Jake," he captivated both young and old with his stories.

In a statement on his social media accounts, his granddaughter McKaela Larson wrote that he died peacefully on July 17, and was "even cracking jokes 'til the very end."

Larson was known for his quick smile and how he combined humorous anecdotes with somber reminders about the horrors of war. He had been living in Lafayette, California.

A self-described Minnesota farm boy, he gained a huge following online in later life by sharing stories of WWII. He was born on December 20, 1922 in Owatonna, Minnesota. In 1938, while lying about his age, Larson enlisted in the National Guard at 15 years old.

In 1942, he was stationed in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy.

Larson was among the nearly 160,000 Allied Troops who stormed Normandy's beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He survived machine gunfire when he landed on Omaha Beach.

"We are the lucky ones," Larson told the Associated Press at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, "They had no family. We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive."

He had been awarded the Bronze Star, and French Legion of Honour for his service.

Larson often called himself "the luckiest man in the world," and expressed awe at the attention he received. "I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok," he told AP in 2023. "I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it came about."