EP-214

In 2019, I signed up for TikTok with the sole intention of keeping an eye on what my kid was up to online. What I didn’t expect was to stumble across a community that was far different from what the media and politicians led us to believe. One of the first creators I discovered was an extraordinary man—WWII veteran Jake “Papa Jake” Larson.

Through heartfelt one-minute interview clips recorded by his granddaughter, Mckaela Larson, Papa Jake’s stories immediately captured my attention. After binge-watching about 20 of these snippets, I reached out to Mckaela to see if Papa Jake would be interested in a long-form interview. To my joy, he was not only interested—he was more than ready.

Jake Larson of Martinez was a 21-year-old soldier who had top clearance when he worked as a clerk at the Portsmouth, England, U.S. Army headquarters. He was part of the 1944 invasion of Normandy France, when more than 150,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches in a pivotal battle against Axis forces. (Curtesy Karlan Larson)

Papa Jake was charismatic, energetic, and sharp as a tack. His first interview with me aired on July 12th, 2020, and we followed it up with another on September 6th, 2020. It became clear he still had more to share, so we sat down one last time on November 4th, 2020, to record what would become our final conversation.

After hearing the heartbreaking news of his passing today, I decided to revisit those three incredible interviews, take the very best moments, and bring them together into this tribute episode.

Please join me in honoring the legacy and voice of an American hero in WTSP EP214: Remembering Papa Jake. 🇺🇸

-Don