Jake Larson, D-Day Veteran and TikTok Star, Dies at 102

Mr. Larson, the last survivor of a unit that stormed Omaha Beach in 1944, shared his memories on social media where he amassed a wide following.

Jake Larson, who was part of a unit that stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 and who gained a wide following on social media after sharing his memories of World War II, died on Thursday at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was 102.

His death was confirmed by his granddaughter McKaela Larson, on his social media accounts.

Mr. Larson had 1.2 million followers on TikTok on his channel, “Story Time with Papa Jake.” He amassed more than 11 million likes on the page.

“He went peacefully and was even cracking jokes til the very end,” Ms. Larson posted. “As Papa would say, ‘Love you all the mostest.’” Information about his other survivors was not immediately available.

Staff Sgt. Larson was among the 160,000 Allied troops who swarmed onto the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, in an invasion that would ultimately lead to the liberation of Europe from the Nazis.

Mr. Larson aboard “The Spirit of Benovia,” a WWII-era aircraft in Oakland, Calif., in 2019.Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Mr. Larson wearing a hat with more than a dozen military pins.Dylan Bouscher/Reuters

Mr. Larson at the World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, above Omaha Beach, in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on June 6, 2023.Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

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