In 1938, when he was just 15, he lied about his age and joined the Minnesota National Guard.
After Pearl Harbor his unit became part of the U.S. Army, and Jake was sent to Northern Ireland. As an operations sergeant, he helped with the planning for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy.
On June 6, 1944, he landed on Omaha Beach. Bullets were flying all around him, but he made it to the cliffs without being hit.
He survived Normandy and later the Battle of the Bulge. He went home in 1945, married Lola, and built a life.
Then, in June 2020, his granddaughter set up a TikTok account for him.
“Papa Jake,” as everyone came to call him, started sharing his memories. More than a million people followed along, and he also wrote a book, “The Luckiest Man in the World.”
He was honored with the Bronze Star and the French Legion of Honor. In 2025, he even won a News Emmy for a live interview with Christiane Amanpour.
Jake died at home in Lafayette, California, on July 17, 2025. He was 102. In this interview, he tells his story in his own words.
Did someone in your family serve in World War II? Tell us about them in the comments.
