HOT PURSUIT

The tributes have been pouring in over the past few weeks since Papa Jake took his last breath at 102 years old.

Media outlets from all over the country have paid tribute to Jake Larson, who was born on a farm near Hope and grew up in Steele County. The New York Times and many others have shared the story of the Normandy survivor who had 1.2 million followers and professed to be “the luckiest man in the world.”

I was fortunate, along with many other people, to meet Papa Jake two years ago when he attended the Steele County Free Fair and was part of the fair’s opening ceremonies. It’s where I got a true indication of what he is really like.

“Who am I? I don’t even know,” said Larson in introducing himself to a crowd of hundreds at the fair in 2023. “I’m just a farm boy from two miles west of Hope, Minnesota. Born and raised on a farm, no electricity, no running water, milking 32 cows every morning, every night. That’s who I am.”

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.

His story began circulating during the pandemic when a granddaughter, McKaela Larson, started a TikTok account for him. He quickly gained hundreds of thousands of followers. He made his last post on July 3.

Some youngsters shared how Papa Jake was a true hero and someone they looked up to.

But Papa Jake was humble and repeatedly told people he didn’t think of himself as a hero.

He reiterated his hero-less status during his fair visit two years ago. “I’m here to tell you, I am not a hero,” Larson said. “Those guys that gave their lives so I could make it, they're the heroes. They’re right up there now listening,” he said pointing to the sky.

Noting he went through six battles without a scratch, Larson was the last surviving member of his company.

But fair officials and many other local dignitaries gave Papa Jake a well-deserved hero’s welcome in 2023. “You have the magical ability to touch and inspire people,” District Court Judge Ross Leuning told Larson. “You are a wonderful role model.”

At the time, the judge made Larson an honorary member of the local veteran’s court.

Larson declared himself the oldest mentor in the nation.

“I don’t think anybody can stand up to me,” he said. “I don’t have an ache of pain. Somebody up there likes what I’m doing—that’s why I’m still going.”

During his 2023 visit, he was also given an honorary diploma to Ellendale High School where he attended until he left for the service at 15.

While Papa Jake may have been the luckiest man in the world, the residents of Steele County and elsewhere have been the luckiest people in the world to know such a hero with ties to this area.

We all owe our deepest gratitude to war heroes like Papa Jake who have gone in hot pursuit of keeping America the great country it is.