A 102-year-old World War II veteran who stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day and participated in the Battle of the Bulge has a special message for Americans on the Fourth of July.
Jake Larson told Fox News it is a special day when he takes the time to reflect on the blessings of being a citizen of the United States, the outlet reported Friday.
“When the Fourth of July comes around each year, I think about how lucky we all are living in this country. In this country, we don’t care where you came from — we’re all Americans. If you fight for our freedoms in America, you are an American,” he said.
In regard to Larson’s comments, a recent poll found that “Republicans say they are prouder this year than in previous years to be American — though American pride has never been low among Republicans, despite mild declines when Democrats are in power,” per Breitbart News.
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Larson, who is originally from Owatonna, Minnesota, but who now lives in Lafayette, California, enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard in 1938 when he was fifteen years old and did not reveal the truth about his age. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Larson’s unit became part of the U.S. Army and he was later shipped over to Europe, according to the American Veterans Center.
He assisted in critical logistics plannings for D-Day, which happened on June 6, 1944, and landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach. His job in the intense environment was to set up an operational command post. The center shared an interview with Larson in 2024 in which he described the extreme danger he and his fellow servicemen experienced:
He explained to Fox, “I just came from the infantry. I got in on the planning of D-Day. Not only did I get in on the planning of D-Day … I landed on Omaha Beach and that night I was put in charge of Omaha Beach.” The outlet noted he continued his duties throughout the Battle of the Bulge.
On June 6, 2019, Larson, who is the last living member of his unit, returned to Omaha Beach for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
During an interview on the beach, Larson said, “The sea here is clear. It was bloody, bodies. What can a person say now except that war is hell. Just think of it, a million mines out in front of us, 2,400 rounds shooting at you at any one time”:
While speaking with Fox recently, Larson expressed his deep gratitude to the men who gave their lives for the nation.
“Their souls are looking down on me now. Every time I talk, I like to remind people that those guys upstairs, looking down at us, they’re the heroes. I’m just in there doing the job,” he said.
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