Jake “Papa Jake” Larson, a World War II hero and viral TikTok star, has passed away at the age of 102. He died peacefully at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area on July 17, 2025.
Jake was born on December 20, 1922, in Owatonna, Minnesota. At just 15 years old, he joined the National Guard by lying about his age. He later helped plan the D-Day invasion during World War II and landed on Omaha Beach in France on June 6, 1944. He bravely fought through one of the toughest battles in history and also took part in the Battle of the Bulge.
For his bravery, Jake was awarded the Bronze Star by the U.S. military and France’s highest honor, the Legion of Honor.
In 2020, Jake became famous again — this time on TikTok. His granddaughter McKaela helped him start an account called Story Time with Papa Jake. He shared real stories from the war and touched millions of hearts with his kind smile and famous line: “Love you all the mostest.”
He gained over 1.2 million followers. Many young people learned about history through his short videos. Earlier this month, Jake was honored with an Emmy Award during a live interview on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
His granddaughter said Jake was smiling and joking even in his final moments. “As Papa would say love you all the mostest,” she said.
Jake “Papa Jake” Larson will always be remembered as a brave soldier, a kind man, and a voice that connected generations.
My name is Vijay Kumar. I work as content writer and founder of this website. I am studying BSC IT. I has been writing content since 2022. I also learn about journalism.
