Jake Larson, World War II veteran turned TikTok star, dead at 102

CNN ^ | 07/19/25 | Betsy Klein

[srmanuel]

Many of you will recognize the name, Jake Larson lied about his age and joined the National Guard at age 15, later he stormed the Easy Red Sector of Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

Larson's Granddaughter signed him up for Tik Tok and helped him attract over 1 million followers with Story Time with Papa Jake, which allowed to become quite a well-known Tik Tok content creator.

Here a few short videos of Jake Larson from the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, he also made it to the 80th and 81st anniversaries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMruLqIy-Pg

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TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: dday; godsgravesglyphs; ii; larson; omahabeach; tiktok; worldwareleven; ww; ww2; wwii

[No name given]

Rest In Peace, Jake Larson.

[Robert DeLong]

Well, he had a good long run.

[srmanuel]

From D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge and making it to 102 is a feat that can’t be duplicated.

[telescope115]

Thank you for your brave service, sir. RIP… 🙏✝️

[telescope115]

The question is often asked, “Where do we get such men?” Well, we know where they’ve gone✝️

[Robert DeLong]

He certainly beat the odds it would seem.

[gitmo]

I know a man who was a paratrooper who went behind enemy lines at D-Day and Operation Market Garden. He recently turned 100 years old. Still drives his car (in the daytime) and walks several miles a day.

[Henchster]

Sgt George Cross?

[gitmo]

No. Kevin Casner.

[Henchster]

Sgt George Cross also went in with the pathfinders before D-Day, and at Market Garden. 100 years old this January. Here he is saluting PDJT at the 75th:

[gitmo]

Thank you for posting. Those men are incredible.

[gitmo]

The man I mentioned was hit by a mortar and somehow his dog tags ended up on a dead soldier. The military notified the family that he was dead. When he got stateside, he called home. They didn’t believe him, thinking it was a cruel joke. They hung up on him, but when he walked in the door a few days later they believed him.

I’ve seen his obituary. Even though he’s still well and kicking.

[gitmo]

I’ve seen a picture of the spot where he was hit my a mortar. It’s a McDonald’s parking lot.

[Albion Wilde]

I was blown away when he said the landing boat he was on was being piloted by a 17-year-old.

They don't make men like that any more. Utmost respect to him and all of them. May they rest in eternal peace.

[SunkenCiv]

• D-Day veteran and TikTok star 'Papa Jake' Larson dies at 102 [07/20/2025]

[Henchster]

After the war, Sgt Cross trained paratroopers how to jump and land - he was a gymnast in high school.

The army said he was too old - so he retired, and joined the smoke jumpers here in AZ! When they told him he was too old to fight fires, he then trained smoke jumpers until he was 70 years old.

He guesses he’s done thousands of jumps, and never so much as twisted an ankle, which he credits to his gymnastic skills.

With everything he’s done, I’d say he had the hand of God on his shoulder.