On the cover of this month’s (July 2025) Diablo Gazette is a touching image: Fabienne Ory of Normandy is proudly holding last year’s issue of the magazine, next to none other than 102-year-old World War II veteran Jake Larson—known to millions online as “Papa Jake.” A Martinez resident and viral TikTok sensation with over 1.2 million followers, Papa Jake is one of the last surviving soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day and marched into Paris surviving five major battles along the way, including the Battle of the Bulge that lost 19,000 American lives.
Since 2019, Delta Air Lines has flown Papa Jake to Normandy each year for the region’s D-Day Festival, where he’s honored as a hero by locals who never forget the sacrifices made by American troops.
Ory met Papa Jake for the first time in 2024 and became an instant admirer. She shared photos and reports with Diablo Gazette showing the deep gratitude still felt in Normandy toward the liberators.
As a thank-you, a copy of the magazine was mailed to her. She saved opening the envelope until this year’s festival—in hope she would have the good fortune to meet Papa Jake again and open it with him.
In a charming tribute, she took the magazine on a tour of the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, snapping photos along the way—giving all of us here a chance to participate in their D-Day memorial event with heartfelt meaning.
Just two weeks after returning from Normandy, Papa Jake received more recognition.
On June 26, it was announced that his 2024 CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour had won an Emmy for Outstanding Live Interview: Short Form. (His Emmy award arrived July 2, 2025)
In that interview, when Amanpour asked Jake if such young fellow soldiers knew what they were fighting for, Papa Jake didn’t hesitate: “Definitely. Every one of us knew we were there to give our life to kick Hitler’s ass out of Europe!”
The Papa Jake’s amazing life story continues to turn pages as he is now the subject of a movie, “Why We Dream”, a new documentary that premiered June 6 at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The film follows a group of WWII veterans—all over 100 years old—on their emotional return to Normandy. Produced by Pulse Films and Delta Air Lines, the documentary explores memory, sacrifice, and the enduring impact of war. It will be featured on Delta flights and is expected to stream on Netflix in 2026.
Papa Jake is still active with his Tik Tok series, “Storytime with Papa Jake”. On occasion, you may just catch him one morning at the Bagel St. Café located in the Muir Station Shopping Center in Martinez with family and friends.
“The friendship between USA and Normandy France is still alive,” Ory wrote us. With that, Diablo Gazette would like to thank her for thinking of and including us during their 10-day celebration.
Papa Jake Larson: War Hero, Tik Tok Sensation, Movie Star, Emmy Winner and now, Two-Time Cover Guest