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The American World War Two veteran and TikTok star, Jake Larson, popularly known as 'Papa Jake', died on July 17, 2025, at the age of 102, according to the BBC. He was known for sharing his wartime experiences on TikTok and social media well into his centenarian years.
Jake was among the troops who landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, during D-Day on June 6, 1944. In spite of the German soldiers shooting, he had managed to reach the high ground. Larson survived the battle and lived much longer than many of the men who were present with him that day.
He went by the username @storytimewithpapajake on TikTok and had over 1.2 million followers. He was living in Lafayette, California.
More about the veteran 'Papa Jake' Larson
The news of Jake's passing was shared by his granddaughter in a TikTok post on Sunday, July 20, 2025. She 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 till the very end. I am so thankful to have shared my Papa Jake with you all. You meant the world to him. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest.''
She then asked for privacy as her family processed this loss. Jake had also served in the US Army at the Battle of the Bulge in WW2. His oldest grandson, Mike Larson, said this about him, as per CBS News:
''Every day with him was a blessing. He got to see both of my children graduate high school, he accomplished so much. The outpouring of support is unbelievable. We have had people from all around the world reach out to us. It's really, really amazing.''
Jake had recently won an Emmy award for his interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour about his D-Day experiences. He was the last surviving member of his unit. As news of his passing spread, heartfelt tributes flooded social media.
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