Paying tribute to the veteran of the Second World War and social media star Jake Larson, known online as “Papa Jake”, who died at the age of 102.
Larson, one of the D-D’s Allies, helped end World War II by attacking Nazi German troops on beaches in northern France in 1944.
In his later life, he championed social media and gained 1.2 million followers in Tiktok, where he shared stories commemorating World War II and his fallen comrades.
Three weeks ago, he won the Emmy Award with British News reporter Christiane Amanpour, whose interview marks the 80th anniversary of D-D last year.
His granddaughter McKaela Larson said on Tiktok that he died on July 17 but “left peacefully and even laughed jokingly.”
“I’m so grateful to share with you my dad Jack. What you mean to him is the world.”
McKaela Larson added: “As Dad would say, I love you guys the most.”
She asked for privacy to her family, but she said she would “continue to share Papa Jack’s story and keep the life of memory.”
When asked about the app, Jake Larson said: “I didn’t even know what Tiktok was until my granddaughter sent it to me.”
He also served in the U.S. Army during the Battle of the Second World War.
Before the Allied invasion of France, when he was 19 years old, he was stationed in Lugen, Northern Ireland.
Larson has visited Normandy several times in recent years for D-Day commemoration.
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