Episode 100 with Jake Larson "Papa Jake"
At 102 years old, Jake "Papa Jake" Larson embodies a living connection to some of the most pivotal moments in modern history. His extraordinary journey from a Depression-era farm boy to a World War II veteran who helped plan D-Day offers profound lessons in resilience, purpose, and leadership that resonate deeply in today's world.
Jake's story begins in rural Minnesota during the Great Depression, growing up on a farm with no electricity or running water. As one of eight children, he started school at just four years old and graduated eighth grade by twelve. When his teacher recommended he attend high school, Jake's father initially refused, believing farm chores were more important than education. However, Jake's brother intervened, enabling him to attend high school where he took typing class - a seemingly insignificant decision that would later save his life and alter the course of his military career.
Perhaps the most remarkable chapter in Jake's life began at age fifteen when he and his cousin made the fateful decision to join the National Guard in 1938 as Hitler's aggression was spreading across Europe. When asked his birthdate, Jake quickly calculated backward to appear eighteen, beginning his military journey through a combination of quick thinking and determination that would characterize his entire life. This early enlistment positioned him to be in service before Pearl Harbor, setting the stage for his involvement in World War II's most significant operations.
The pivotal moment in Jake's military career came from his typing skills - the only boy in his high school typing class who could type 50 words per minute. This seemingly minor talent led to his assignment as a company clerk and eventually secured him a position in G3 operations where he helped plan the D-Day invasion. As he recalls with astonishment, "All the typing on every person that landed on Omaha Beach came through my fingers." This extraordinary responsibility placed him at the heart of the largest military operation in world history.
Jake's description of landing on Omaha Beach is harrowing - wading through neck-deep water while holding his rifle above his head, navigating a beach riddled with over one million mines, and being pinned down by machine gun fire. In one of many moments he attributes to divine intervention, Jake describes a fallen soldier whose "soul seemed to speak" to him, telling him exactly when to run during a brief pause in enemy fire. These experiences solidified his perspective that he was "the luckiest man in the world" - the title he later gave his autobiography.
Throughout his narrative, Jake consistently redirects attention from himself to his fallen comrades. "I'm not a hero," he insists. "I started that word 'hereto' - I'm here to tell you about those who paved the way for me and gave their lives. They're the heroes." This humble recognition of others' sacrifices forms the core of his leadership philosophy and continues to drive his mission today as he shares his stories on TikTok with millions of followers.
What makes Jake's perspective on leadership particularly valuable is its clarity and simplicity. When asked what advice he would give to emerging leaders, he responded: "If you're going to work for somebody or you want somebody to work for you, you've got to realize everybody isn't born with the knowledge that you think they have. Be lenient. I never had any problem with anybody working for me while I was in the service. If they didn't know how to do something, I taught them how to do it the right way, and it always worked out. I never had to pull rank."
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In this powerful episode of Tales of Leadership, I sit down with Jake Larson—affectionately known as “Papa Jake”—a 102-year-old World War II veteran and national treasure whose story has captivated millions across the world.
Born during the Great Depression and raised on a farm in rural Minnesota, Jake’s journey took him from poverty to the front lines of history. At just 15 years old, he joined the National Guard by lying about his age. That bold decision would place him on the path to help plan the D-Day invasion as part of G3 Operations. Armed with a skill most overlooked—typing—Jake was responsible for processing the very orders that sent thousands of men onto Omaha Beach, including himself.