Latest news with #NormandyLandings
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
D-Day veteran and TikTok star ‘Papa Jake' Larson dies aged 102
D-Day veteran 'Papa Jake' Larson, who survived German gunfire in the June 1944 Normandy landings and went on to garner 1.2 million followers on TikTok late in life by sharing stories to commemorate the Second World War and his fallen comrades, has died at 102. An animated speaker who charmed strangers young and old with his quick smile and generous hugs, the self-described country boy from Minnesota was 'cracking jokes till the end', his granddaughter wrote while announcing his death. Advertisement Tributes to the veteran quickly filled his Story Time With Papa Jake TikTok account from across the US, where he had been living in Lafayette, California. 'Papa Jake' Larson shared stories to commemorate the Second World War (Thomas Padilla/AP) Towns around Normandy, still grateful to Allied forces who helped defeat the occupying Nazis in the Second World War, paid homage to him too. 'Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17 at 102 years young,' granddaughter McKaela Larson posted on his social media accounts. 'He went peacefully.' Advertisement 'As Papa would say, love you all the mostest,' she wrote. Born on December 20 1922 in Owatonna, Minnesota, Mr Larson enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, lying about his age as he was only 15 at the time. In 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland. He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy. Mr Larson was among the nearly 160,000 Allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, June 6 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach. Advertisement He made it unhurt to the cliffs that overlook the beach, then studded with German gun emplacements that mowed down American soldiers. 'We are the lucky ones,' Mr Larson told The Associated Press (AP) at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June. 'We are their family. We have the responsibility to honour these guys who gave us a chance to be alive.' Mr Larson's service earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honour award (Eric Risberg/AP) Mr Larson went on to fight through the Battle of the Bulge, a gruelling month-long fight in Belgium and Luxembourg that was one of the defining moments of the war and of Hitler's defeat. His service earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honour award. Advertisement In recent years, Mr Larson made repeated trips to Normandy for D-Day commemorations — and at every stop, 'Papa Jake' was greeted by people asking for a selfie. In return, he offered up big hugs. One memorable encounter came in 2023, when he came across Bill Gladden, a then-99-year-old British veteran who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle. 'I want to give you a hug, thank you. I got tears in my eyes. We were meant to meet,' Mr Larson told Mr Gladden, their hands clasped tightly. Mr Gladden died the following year. In his TikTok posts and interviews, Mr Larson combined humorous anecdotes with sombre reminders about the horrors of war. Advertisement Reflecting to AP on the three years he was in Europe, Mr Larson said he was 'no hero'. Speaking in 2024, he also had a message to world leaders: 'Make peace not war.' Mr Larson made repeated trips to Normandy for D-Day commemorations in recent years (Eric Risberg/AP) He often called himself 'the luckiest man in the world', and expressed awe at all the attention he was getting. 'I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok,' he told AP in 2023. 'I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it came about.' Small-town museums and groups around Normandy that work to honour D-Day's veterans and fallen shared tributes online to Mr Larson, one of their most loyal visitors. 'He was an exceptional witness and bearer of memory,' the Overlord Museum posted on Facebook. 'He came every year to the museum, with his smile, his humility and his tales that touched all generations. His stories will continue to live. Rest in peace Papa Jake,' it read. 'Thanks for everything.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Knitted D-Day display cancelled over safety fears
An exhibition recreating D-Day and the Normandy Landings in yarn has been cancelled due to safety concerns and a lack of space. The 80m-long (262ft) knitted and crocheted exhibition, called The Longest Yarn, was due to go on display in the American Library in Norwich's Millennium Library from Tuesday until 1 March. However, the American Library said on social media the event had been cancelled by Norfolk County Council, which runs the Millennium Library, "without consultation with the American Library staff or trustees". In a statement, the council said: "As potential visitor numbers began to grow, concerns emerged about the ability to host such an important exhibition in a relatively small space in a way that it could be fully and safely enjoyed by those wishing to view it." The American Library is a living memorial to nearly 7,000 personnel of the 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, United States Army Air Forces, who were based in East Anglia during World War Two and were killed in action, as well as those who survived. The display was created by about 180 crafters from across the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada and France and recreates 80 scenes from the 1944 invasion. It is due to go on display at Peterborough Cathedral from 4 March to 31 March. Norfolk County Council said it sincerely apologised for the cancellation and wanted to "express our deep regret for the disappointment" it had caused. Its statement added: "All parties involved explored a range of alternatives, including other spaces in the library, and other sites in Norwich. "However, no suitable option could be found at such short notice that would do justice to this powerful visual display." The exhibition has been on display in France before touring Britain, and is due to go on show in the United States in April. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Army of knitted soldiers raise awareness for D-Day Cartoonist's 'mission' to get more men knitting Queen of knitting's glorious treasures rehomed The Longest Yarn
BBC News
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Norwich knitted D-Day display cancelled over safety fears
An exhibition recreating D-Day and the Normandy Landings in yarn has been cancelled due to safety concerns and a lack of 80m-long (262ft) knitted and crocheted exhibition, called The Longest Yarn, was due to go on display in the American Library in Norwich's Millennium Library from Tuesday until 1 the American Library said on social media the event had been cancelled by Norfolk County Council, which runs the Millennium Library, "without consultation with the American Library staff or trustees". In a statement, the council said: "As potential visitor numbers began to grow, concerns emerged about the ability to host such an important exhibition in a relatively small space in a way that it could be fully and safely enjoyed by those wishing to view it." The American Library is a living memorial to nearly 7,000 personnel of the 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, United States Army Air Forces, who were based in East Anglia during World War Two and were killed in action, as well as those who display was created by about 180 crafters from across the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada and France and recreates 80 scenes from the 1944 authority said it sincerely apologised for the cancellation and wanted to "express our deep regret for the disappointment" it had caused. Its statement added: "All parties involved explored a range of alternatives, including other spaces in the library, and other sites in Norwich."However, no suitable option could be found at such short notice that would do justice to this powerful visual display."The exhibition has been on display in France before touring Britain, and is due to go on show in the United States in is due to go on display at Peterborough Cathedral from 4 March to 31 March. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
