Papa Jake, WWII veteran turned TikTok star, dies at 102, granddaughter says
"Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young," McKaela Larson, Papa Jake's granddaughter, wrote in a post on his TikTok. "Please know, he went peacefully and was even cracking jokes til the very end."
Papa Jake, who recently won an Emmy for his interview with journalist Christiane Amanpour, was a D-Day veteran who shared his stories on TikTok to his 1.2 million followers.
"When the time is right, I will continue to share Papa Jake's stories and keep his memory alive, " McKaela Larson stated. "We appreciate all the kind words and posts. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest."
Who was Papa Jake?
Jake Larson, known as Papa Jake, was a TikToker and veteran who turned 102 in December, according to his posts. His account used the handle @storytimewithpapajake.
Larson shared stories on social media of his time in the army during World War II.
In a video posted to TikTok, the veteran stated that he was 21 years old when he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He said he knew about where the armed forces were landing during D-Day because he worked on the top-secret invasion.
"The highest form of secrecy you could get," Larson said. "What an honor for a county boy."
He also shared special moments with his family, like when he walked his granddaughter, McKaela, down the aisle in February.
"At 102 years old, I am blessed to be able to walk my Granddaughter McKaela down the aisle," he wrote in the post on TikTok.
His videos garnered over 11 million likes, and he reached over a million followers in 2025.
His family has asked for privacy while they grieve and "process this loss."
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
27 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
This isn't the first time Trump's been parodied on 'South Park'
Whether you're a long-time "South Park" fan or just have heard of the show in passing, you've probably heard about that episode by now. The Season 27 premiere of "South Park" started off with a fiery take on President Donald Trump's widespread attacks on media. The episode, which aired on Wednesday, July 23, shows a character with Trump's face on a cartoon body crawling into bed, naked, with Satan. The episode referenced Paramount's $16 million settlement with the president, Trump's claims that he'll receive $20 million worth of ads on the network and the cancellation of CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." In response to the episode, the White House told USA TODAY on Thursday, July 24, that the scene was a "desperate attempt for attention," calling the series a "fourth-rate" show. During a panel about the show at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday evening, July 24, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone sarcastically said they were "terribly sorry" for the episode. Though Trump himself is not often depicted directly in the series, like the recent episode, Parker and Stone have used the popular character Mr. Garrison to represent the president through several seasons. In the series' 20th season, Mr. Garrison, who previously was an elementary school teacher, wins the 2016 U.S. presidential election against Hillary Clinton. Becoming President Garrison, the character continues to serve as a parody for Trump until 2020. President Garrison takes on Trump's swooped, blonde hair, sends out fiery social media posts and is obsessed with hosting Make America Great Again rallies. Here's a look at some of the key moments the president has been featured, or parodied, in "South Park." White House, 'South Park' trade barbs: What to know about the feud "Where My Country Gone" highlights the U.S.-Mexico border wall that Trump wished to build long before he took office in 2017. The episode aired in September 2015, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In the episode, Mr. Garrison (not yet President Garrison) begins to promote the idea of building a wall along the U.S.-Canada border to eliminate the number of illegal Canadian immigrants entering the country. Can 'South Park' take on Trump 2.0? They're walking a tightrope In "Oh, Jeez," Mr. Garrison is elected as president in the 2016 election. The character, renamed to President Garrison, continues to serve as a parody of Trump in the series until Season 24, when Trump lost the 2020 election. The episode aired on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the election. In the next episode, "Members Only," President Garrison begins his duties. He gets a Trump-style toupee, tours the Pentagon, is given a book of "military secrets" and gets in a heated phone call with Boris Johnson, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom. "Put It Down" highlights the United States' relationship with North Korea and references Trump's presence on social media. In the episode, which aired in September 2017, President Garrison posts aggressive tweets about North Korea, specifically about a nuclear missile fired by the country, which causes car accidents by drivers who are distracted by the posts. "Doubling Down," references the decreasing popularity of Trump during his first presidential administration. The episode aired in November 2017. During the episode, President Garrison insults a world leader on the telephone in the White House while his advisers discuss low approval ratings. "Splatty Tomato," again, parodies Trump's approval ratings following the 2016 election. The episode aired in December 2017. Throughout the episode, President Garrison pops up, scaring characters and asking them about his approval ratings. The characters compare Garrison sneak attacks to characters in "Stranger Things" and "IT." At one point, the character Tweek is riding his bicycle around town when he sees a collection of balloons that read, "Make America Great Again." The balloons then pop, revealing President Garrison, who asks Tweek about his ratings. "The Pandemic Special" was the premiere of Season 24. Airing in September 2020, the episodes satirize the United States' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest amid the Black Lives Matter movement. President Garrison makes minor appearances in the episodes, notably using a flamethrower to encourage citizens to vote in the 2020 presidential election. "Spring Break" parodies the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. In the episode, Mr. Garrison, who freshly lost the 2020 presidential election, goes on a trip with his boyfriend to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The episode aired in March 2023. During the trip, Mr. Garrison starts to slink away to Make America Great Again rallies, despite his boyfriend's pleas not to. The episode ends with Mr. Garrison leading a chant that results in his supporters rushing the U.S. Capitol. Old and new episodes of "South Park" are now available for streaming on Paramount+ with a paid subscription. A Paramount+ Essential subscription is $7.99 a month with ads, and a Paramount+ Premium subscription is $12.99 a month without ads. Contributing: Brian Truitt and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Greta Lee rides a lightcycle in new 'Tron: Ares' footage at Comic-Con
SAN DIEGO – No one's giddier than Greta Lee about being in a 'Tron' movie. Directed by Joachim Rønning, 'Tron: Ares' (in theaters Oct. 10) brings the computer programs from the digital Grid into the real world for the first time, all set to a cool Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. A Comic-Con panel for the sci-fi action film on Friday, July 25, debuted new footage, including a moment where digital warriors Ares (Jared Leto) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) are sent to reality to take an important piece of code from programmer Eve Kim (Lee). A high-speed chase ensues, and Eve winds up stealing one of her pursuers' lightcycles. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox And it kind of made her life. 'I told my agents to find me something where I can ride a lightcycle. I actually got to ride one. It was insane,' said Lee ('Past Lives'). 'I never could have imagined it could be that fun.' Her character is also seen in the Grid riding a nifty speeder vehicle alongside Ares, with Athena's drones in hot pursuit. (She makes a deal with Ares that he'll return her to the real world in exchange for the code he needs.) One person almost as excited as Lee is the OG 'Tron' star himself, Jeff Bridges. 'It's so cool, man!' said the actor, who reprises his role as Kevin Flynn from the 1982 first film and 2010's 'Tron: Legacy.' 'Artificial intelligence, that's on everybody's hearts and minds these days, and I'm glad to be part of this story.' Bridges was joined on the panel by original 'Tron' writer/director Steven Lisberger, who said Bridges has 'been a gift to 'Tron' since day one' and over the years has seen 'Tron' become real life. 'That's more far out than 'Tron,' ' he said. 'We kind of created our own genre with virtual adventure and it's not going away,' the filmmaker added. 'It's not that Tron was ahead of its time. It's that everyone else was late.' Leto admitted that he's an 'official 'Tron' superfan,' and the actor spearheaded the making of the third movie. Back in 1982, 'video games were exploding, and films were a huge part of my life. ('Tron') just grabbed a hold of me. It took me to a place I'd never been before and rattled my imagination.' During his first day on the set, Bridges heard that Leto only wanted to be called by his character name, Ares. 'I could understand that,' Bridges said. 'It's a tough part, man, to play a program. I figured I'm playing Flynn, I'm the guy who created this thing, but I didn't wanted to offend him as a thespo. I said, 'Can I call you Air?' He said, 'You can call me whatever you want.' ' Leto got such a kick out of being around Bridges that he actually yelled 'cut' early during one take: 'I couldn't stop smiling because I was working with this guy.' There is connective tissue between 'Ares' and the original 'Tron,' from props to characters: For example, Evan Peters plays Julian Dillinger, a descendant of 'Tron' baddie Edward Dillinger (David Warner). Lee said 'Ares' is 'absolutely for superfans and die-hards, but we have this exciting opportunity to usher in a whole new audience for 'Tron.' I think we'll be able to connect a lot of different people with this movie.' Leto also shouted out 'Tron' music over the years. He called the Daft Punk soundtrack 'incredible' and was downright giddy himself about Nine Inch Nails' contributions to 'Ares.' A new music video for the single 'As Alive As You Need Me to Be' premiered at Comic-Con. 'Very few people could fill those shoes,' said Leto, and Nine Inch Nails "made music that will last a lifetime.'
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
'Predator' director talks 'Badlands,' hints at Schwarzenegger's return
SAN DIEGO – Dan Trachtenberg's first 'Predator' movie experience was sitting in the back of a car in the 1980s, heading to a karate tournament and listening intently as other kids ran down the plot of that cool new Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action movie. 'I grew up loving the idea of seeing an R-rated movie for the first time and 'Predator' was that,' the director said at a Comic-Con panel on Friday, July 25, for latest franchise effort 'Predator: Badlands' (in theaters Nov. 7). 'Badlands' marks the first time in the long-running series that a Predator is the actual protagonist rather than the villain – in this case, a young alien hunter named Dek (played by New Zealand actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). And it's the latest movie where Trachtenberg, who also directed 'Prey' and the animated 'Killer of Killers,' is taking 'Predator' to new places. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox That said, Trachtenberg revealed at the panel he recently had breakfast with Schwarzenegger and is looking to 'cook up stuff for that guy.' The first bit: His character Dutch in the original 1987 film has now been added to a key post-credits scene in 'Killer of Killers' (streaming on Hulu) that hints to where things could go in the future. 'Badlands' was inspired by Trachtenberg realizing that, in these movies, 'the Predator never wins. They're supposed to be the greatest hunters in the galaxy.' The director showed off the first 15 minutes of the movie, which introduces Dek as the runt of his clan and why he needs to travel to a 'death planet' called Genna to track down an 'unkillable' foe and prove himself. 'We really have never in movies seen the Predator hunting on a planet where everything, from grass to creatures, could kill you. He's essentially the Dutch of this movie,' Trachtenberg said. 'It was a really fun experiment, the whole process of bringing Dek to life,' Schuster-Koloamatang said. 'The suit is a little taxing. But it's really rewarding feeling when you get to hang up your boots – or your Yautja feet.' Dek gets help from Thia (Elle Fanning), an android with half a body that goes on the quest with him. Trachtenberg liked the concept of Thia 'being strapped to that guy for the gauntlet that he has to go through' a la Chewbacca carrying C-3PO parts in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.' Also noteworthy: Thia is a Weylandi-Yutani android, meaning that "Badlands" takes place in the same universe as the 'Alien' movies. Does the 'Predator' guy want to be the 'Alien vs. Predator' guy? 'Wouldn't that be cool,' Trachtenberg said. One big change in 'Badlands' is in actually filming the Predator. Before, actors would in be suits and the actor would wear a giant mask so the Predator's mandibles and jaws were controlled by filmmakers. This time, Schuster-Koloamatangi wore the armor but the face was open so the Predator's facial expressions would match the actor's via motion-capture performance. 'We really wanted to make sure we could go to emotional places that have never happened in previous films,' Trachtenberg said. He described it as 'this beautiful moment' of old school meeting digital, 'all bring driven by Dimitrius' performance.'
