Felix Laurence Sparks (August 2, 1917 – September 25, 2007) was an American attorney, government official, and military officer from

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

. A veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he attained the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

Colorado Army National Guard The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, United States National Guard, and Colorado National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat force ...

and was a recipient of the Silver Star and two awards of the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

. Sparks also served as District Attorney of Colorado's 7th Judicial District, an

Associate Justice Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some sta ...

of the

Colorado Supreme Court The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver, the Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. Powers and duties Appellate jurisdiction Discretionary appeals The Court ...

, and the longtime director of the

Colorado Water Conservation Board The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) operates as a division of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The Colorado legislature founded the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) through the passage of HousBill no. 6in 1937 for the " ...

. A native of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, Sparks was raised and educated in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and served as an enlisted soldier in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

from 1936 to 1938. He then attended the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

, where he maintained his military interest by taking part in the

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...

and several Citizens' Military Training Camps while also serving in the

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

. In 1939, he was called to active duty for

, and in 1940 he received his commission as a second lieutenant. Assigned to the 45th Infantry Division, Sparks served with the division's 157th Infantry Regiment throughout the war, including combat in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. Near the end of the war, Sparks was commander of the 157th Infantry's 3rd Battalion, which he led during its participation in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. For his wartime service, Sparks was a recipient of the Silver Star, two awards of the

, and the French Croix de Guerre. After the war, Sparks graduated from the

University of Colorado Law School The University of Colorado Law School is one of the professional graduate schools within the University of Colorado System. It is a public law school, with more than 500 students attending and working toward a Juris Doctor or Master of Studies in ...

, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Delta, Colorado. A leader of the local

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, Sparks served a term as District Attorney of Colorado's 7th Judicial District (1949–1953), and briefly filled a vacancy as an

of the

(1956). In 1957, Sparks was appointed attorney for the

. In 1958, he became the board's director, and he served in this position until retiring in 1979. In addition to pursuing careers in law and government, Sparks continued to serve in the military. Assigned as executive officer of the 157th Regimental Combat Team (RCT), a unit of the

, Sparks subsequently commanded the RCT's 1st Battalion. He commanded the 169th Field Artillery Group as a colonel in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including recall to active duty for several months during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Sparks was promoted to

in 1968 and assigned as the Colorado National Guard's assistant adjutant general for army and commander of the Colorado Army National Guard. Sparks served in the National Guard until reaching the mandatory retirement age in 1977. Sparks died in

Lakewood, Colorado The City of Lakewood is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 155,984 at the 2020 U.S. Census making Lakewood the fifth most populous city in Col ...

, on September 25, 2007. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in

Wheat Ridge, Colorado The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ...

Early life

Felix L. "Larry" Sparks was born in San Antonio, Texas, on August 2, 1917, the oldest of five children born to Felix Franklin Sparks and Martha Estelle (Ray) Sparks. When he was four, his family moved to

Miami, Arizona Miami ( Western Apache: Goshtłʼish Tú) is a town in Gila County, Arizona, United States. Miami is a classic Western copper boom-town. Miami's old downtown has been partly renovated, and the Bullion Plaza Museum features the cultural, mini ...

, where his father worked in a copper mine. Sparks was raised and educated in

, and in 1935, he took part in one of the Citizens' Military Training Camps (C.M.T.C.) operated by the

, which offered young men the opportunity to obtain military training and possibly earn a commission in the National Guard or Army Reserve. In March 1936 he joined the

. Assigned to a

coast artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

regiment, he served in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

for two years. After his March 1938 discharge, Sparks returned to Arizona, where he attended the

. In 1939, he participated in another C.M.T.C., at which he won several awards and was recommended for a commission in the army. While attending college, Sparks also participated in the

World War II

Sparks served in the

Reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

from 1939 to 1940, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

in January 1940. He was called to active duty in February 1941 and assigned to the 45th Infantry Division. Sparks took part in the North African campaign, Italian campaign, Southern France campaign, and Central European campaign. He was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in February 1942, captain in October 1942, major in August 1944, and lieutenant colonel in November 1944. During the war, Sparks's assignments included adjutant of 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment and commander of the battalion's Company E. As a major and lieutenant colonel, he commanded the 45th Division's 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment during 1944 and 1945.

Post-World War II

District attorney

After the war, Sparks attended the

, graduating in 1948. After receiving his

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree, Sparks was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and began a practice in Delta, Colorado. Sparks was also active in civic and veterans organizations, including the

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...

Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...

, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion. In 1948, he was the successful Democratic candidate for District Attorney of the 7th Judicial District, and he served one term, 1949 to 1953. Sparks also served as chairman of the Democratic Party in Delta County. Following his term as district attorney, Sparks resumed practicing law in Delta. In addition, he served as county attorney for Delta County and town attorney for the town of Hotchkiss. Sparks was a leader of the Delta County bar, and was a member of the

Phi Delta Phi Phi Delta Phi () is an international legal honor society and the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States. Phi Delta Phi was originally a professional fraternity but became an honor society in 2012. The fraternity ...

fraternity,

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...

, and Colorado Bar Association.

Colorado Water Conservation Board

In May 1956, Governor

Edwin C. Johnson Edwin Carl Johnson (January 1, 1884 – May 30, 1970) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as both governor of and U.S. senator from the state of Colorado. Background Johnson was born in Scandia in Republic County in ...

appointed Sparks to fill a vacancy as an

of the

. He served until November 1956 and was an unsuccessful candidate for a full term. In January 1957, Sparks was appointed attorney for the

. In June 1958, Sparks was appointed as the board's director. Sparks served as the board's director until retiring in April 1979. After his retirement, Sparks was a consultant on issues of water resource management and served as a member of the Upper Colorado River Commission.

Continued military career

In addition to his career in politics and government, Sparks remained in the military after World War II. In 1946, he was appointed as executive officer the

's 157th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) with the rank of lieutenant colonel. As reorganized units were assigned to the RCT, Sparks was assigned to command of its 1st Battalion. In May 1950, Sparks completed the course at the

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. After completing his tour as commander of 1st Battalion, Sparks served for several years on the staff at the Colorado National Guard's state headquarters. In August 1959 he was assigned to command the 169th Field Artillery Group. Sparks was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in October 1961 when his command was called to active duty as part of the U.S. response to the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Sparks served on active duty at Fort Sill, Oklahoma until August 1962, then returned to his position with the state water conservation board. In August 1968, Sparks completed the updated Command and General Staff College course at Fort Leavenworth. He was then promoted to

and assigned as Colorado's assistant adjutant general for army and commander of the Colorado Army National Guard. Sparks held this position until retiring upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1977.

Awards

Sparks was a recipient of the Silver Star for heroism, as well as two awards of the

. In addition, Sparks received the Croix de Guerre from the government of France. He received his Silver Star for heroism during combat in Italy in February 1944 while he was commander of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry. The citation for his Silver Star read:

Dachau liberation

In September 1956, news of a planned reunion of 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment scheduled for

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

in October included details of Sparks's role in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. On April 29, 1945, units of 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Sparks, were ordered to secure the Dachau camp; he led his troops as they entered the camp over a side wall. At about the same time,

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Henning Linden Brigadier General Henning Linden (September 3, 1892 – March 15, 1984) was a United States Army officer who served in World War II. He was notable for his role in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp while serving as assistant division ...

led soldiers of the 222nd Infantry Regiment of the 42nd (Rainbow) Infantry Division to accept the formal surrender of the camp from German Lieutenant Heinrich Wicker. Linden was traveling with

Marguerite Higgins Marguerite Higgins Hall (September 3, 1920January 3, 1966) was an American reporter and war correspondent. Higgins covered World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and in the process advanced the cause of equal access for female war c ...

and other reporters, and as a result, Linden's detachment generated international headlines by accepting the surrender of the camp. More than 30,000 Jews and political prisoners were freed. Since 1945, adherents of the 42nd and 45th Division versions of events have argued over which unit was the first to liberate Dachau.

Death and burial

Sparks died of pneumonia at St. Anthony Central Hospital in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, on September 25, 2007. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in

Family

In 1941, Sparks married Mary Blair. They were the parents of four children.

Legacy

Sparks's wartime experiences were the subject of a 2020

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

miniseries, '' The Liberator''. Sparks's role in the Dachau liberation is also the subject of

Alex Kershaw Alex Kershaw (born 1966) is an English journalist, public speaker and the author of several best-selling books, including ''The Liberator'', ''The First Wave'', ''The Bedford Boys'' and ''The Longest Winter''. Early life Born in York, England, ...

's book ''The Liberator'', upon which the miniseries is based. In 2008, the

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

at 10799 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado was named in Sparks's honor.

References

Additional reading

* Beuchner, Emajean Jordan (1991). ''Sparks''. Metairie, LA: Thunderbird Press, Inc.

External links

McClearn, William C. "An Oral History: Felix L. Sparks", ''The Colorado Lawyer'', October 1998

* ttp://www.45thinfantrydivision.com/index17.htm Sheeler, Jim. "One Last Honor", ''Rocky Mountain News'', March 10, 2007
Clips from the 1990 documentary "The Liberation of KZ Dachau"; includes interview with Felix Sparks

Farragher, Thomas. "Vengeance at Dachau", Boston Globe, July 2, 2001

Felix Sparks at Find a Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparks, Felix 1917 births 2007 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American prosecutors Colorado state court judges Justices of the Colorado Supreme Court Deaths from pneumonia in Colorado People from Miami, Arizona Military personnel from San Antonio United States Army generals 20th-century American judges People from Delta, Colorado Military personnel from Colorado University of Colorado Law School alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Colorado Democrats Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Burials in Colorado

Early life

World War II

Post-World War II

District attorney

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Continued military career

Awards

Dachau liberation

Death and burial

Family

Legacy

See also

References

Additional reading

External links