TikTok star with millions of followers who stormed D-Day beaches dies aged 102

A much-loved World War Two veteran turned social media star who gathered more than a million followers has died aged 102.

Tributes from around the world have flooded in for Jake Larson, best known as Papa Jake, after his granddaughter McKaela Larson broke the news on TikTok.

Uploading the post on Saturday, July 18, she wrote: “Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young. He went peacefully and was even cracking jokes ‘til the very end.”

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“I am so thankful to have shared my Papa Jake with you all. You meant the world to him. When the time is right, I will continue to share Papa Jake's stories and keep his memory alive. We appreciate all the kind words and posts. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest.”

In January 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland, where he was promoted to operations sergeant and became a part of the planning for Operation Overlord - the D-Day landings.

Jake was then among the Allied troops on the day who stormed the beaches of France in 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach before attacking the Nazi German forces and helping to end the war a year later.

Speaking to the Associated Press last month for the D-Day anniversary, Jake said:" We are the lucky ones. They had no family. We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive."

In the years that followed, he'd head back to those beaches in Normandy on several occasions, always embracing fellow veterans commemorating those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

However, more than 80 years later, the Minnesota native, born December 20, 1922, embraced the digital era, where he managed to capture the hearts of a whole new generation. Creating videos about Memorial Day celebrations, stories from World War Two, and even a trip to Disney Land, the veterans' videos have been viewed tens of millions of times.

He worked with his granddaughter to make many of the videos, with Jake having previously said: "I didn't even know what TikTok was until my granddaughter sent it to me one day," Jake Larson said when asked about the app.

Just three weeks ago, Papa Jake achieved another accolade, co-winning an Emmy Award with journalist Christiane Amanpour for a captivating interview they conducted marking last year's 80th anniversary of D-Day.

After the news broke of his passing, Christiane posted: “So sorry to hear this. They really don’t make them like Jake Larson anymore. The sacrifices he made with his Band of Brothers in WWII, and the joy he lived throughout his long life, offer an example to us all. RIP”

While Normandy’s Overlord Museum wrote: “ Papa Jake was more than a soldier – he was an extraordinary witness and a messenger of remembrance.”