Subscribe to American Veterans Center on YouTube!

In 1938, at age 15, Jake Larson lied about his age and enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor his guard unit became part of the US Army and Larson was sent to Ft. Dix, New Jersey to await embarkation to Europe.

Larson was stationed in Northern Ireland, where he was transferred to V Corps, G3 section. Now in a headquarters company, Larson began to assist in critical logistic plannings for Operation Overlord, or D-Day.

On June 6, 1944, Larson landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach and was tasked with setting up an operational command post once a beachhead was established.

Larson would survive Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge and later write about his experiences in his autobiography entitled "The Luckiest Man in the World". Jake would also find unexpected fame as a TikTok and YouTube sensation, sharing his stories to a new generation of people around the world.