In one of his most recent videos, Jake Larson explains why in his old age one Tap account opened. Sitting from his chair, spelled in a military jacket and a hat with military awards, says with tearing eyes: “All other guys are no longer there, so I am here to tell the story and honor them.”
In recent years, Larson, part of the so -called ‘Greatest Generation’ of the US, acquired a loyal supporter on social media as a hundred -year -old on Tiktok by posting videos under the name ‘Dad Jake’. On Tiktok, he collected more than 1.2 million followers with his stories about his life and military service. Sometimes in light tone, other times he broke up memories of the atrocities of the Second World War. He died on Sunday at the age of 102.
Larson was born in December 1922 in the US state of Minnesota. At a young age he knew he wanted to become a military. At the age of 15 he joined the National Guard. Before that he had to lie about his age; The minimum age was 17 years.
Invasion of Normandy
While the Second World War was in full swing, Larson was sent to Northern Ireland in 1942 as an operational sergeant. There he would shape the invasion of Normandy, later known as D-Day. When it was that time two years later and more than 160,000 Allies jumped out of more than 11,000 planes to land on the French beaches and to free Western Europe from the German occupation, Larson was one of them.
Larson would then continue to fight, until the work of the Ardennes, the last German offensive. His proven services earned him a bronze star, an award for “individuals in the service of the US armed forces who distinguish themselves in a war area by heroism.” He also received the National Order of the Legion of Eer, the highest and most important French national award.
Following overlap he told Tiktok in recent years under the name ‘Dad Jake’ about his war experiences, such as on a farm at Omaha Beach, where he stayed for days without electricity and running water. But he also told about his post -traumatic stress disorder that he finally overcame fifty years after the end of the Second World War.
‘Hitler by giving it’
Many of his 1.2 million tap followers called Larson a “legend” or “hero” among the films he shared. But he did not want to be called a hero, he said last year an interview With CNN. In conversation with Christiane Amanpour, Larson explained that he and his fellow soldiers had only been willing to “give Hitler by. And we did.”
When Amanpour won an Emmy three weeks ago for the interview and sent the won trophy to Larson, according to his daughter he was “overwhelmed by joy.” On Instagram, granddaughter McKaela Larson writes on Sunday that when the time is ripe, “the stories of daddy Jake will continue to share and keep his memory alive.”