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

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. A veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he attained the rank of brigadier general 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 forces ...

and received the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

and 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 In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

of Colorado's 7th Judicial District, an

Associate Justice An 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 ...

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 was established in 1876. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices who are appointed by the Governor of Colorado from a ...

, 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 San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, Sparks was raised and educated in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

and served as an enlisted soldier in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

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 university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

, 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. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

and several

Citizens' Military Training Camp Citizens' Military Training Camps (CMTC) were United States government authorized military training programs held annually each summer during the years 1921 to 1940. CMTC camps differed from National Guard and Organized Reserve training in that t ...

s while also serving in the

Army Reserve Army Reserve refers to a land-based military reserve force, including: *Army Reserve (Ireland) *Army Reserve (United Kingdom) *Australian Army Reserve *Canadian Army Reserve * New Zealand Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve *United States Navy ...

. 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, from its arrival in North Africa through combat in Sicily, 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 twice awarded both the

and the

, as well as the French

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

. 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 i ...

, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in

Delta, Colorado Delta is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Delta County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 9,035 at the 2020 United States census. The United States Forest Service headqua ...

. A leader of the local Democratic Party, Sparks served a term as

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 The Berlin Crisis of 1961 () was the last major European political and military incident of the Cold War concerning the status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of History of Germany (1945–90), post–World War II Germany. The crisis cul ...

. Sparks was promoted to brigadier general 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 Lakewood is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 15 ...

, 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, min ...

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

, and in 1935, he took part in one of the

s (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 c ...

regiment, he served in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

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. While attending college, Sparks also participated in the

World War II

Sparks served in the

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

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

in January 1940. He was called to active duty in February 1941 and assigned to the 45th Infantry Division. Sparks took part in the 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 se ...

in February 1942,

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in October 1942,

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

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. A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

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

. 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 Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...

Elks The Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset (ELKS), formerly known as Linux-8086, is a Linux-like operating system kernel. It is a subset of the Linux kernel, intended for 16-bit computers with limited processor and memory resources such as machines pow ...

Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States Armed Forces, United States war veterans who fought in wars, Military campaign, campaig ...

, and

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

. In 1948, he was the successful Democratic candidate for

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 (), commonly known as Phid or PDP, is an international legal honor society and the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States. Founded in 1869 at the University of Michigan as a professional fraternity, ...

fraternity,

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...

, and

Colorado Bar Association The Colorado State Bar Association (CBA), founded in 1897, is a voluntary bar association for the state of Colorado. The earliest bar association in what is now Colorado was the Weld County Bar Association, founded by three lawyers in or after ...

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 i ...

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, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. 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 (armed forces), 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 colon ...

in October 1961 when his command was called to active duty as part of the U.S. response to the

. Sparks served on active duty at

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

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 brigadier general 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 two awards of the

for heroism, as well as two awards of the

. In addition, Sparks received the

from the government of France. He received the 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 first 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 List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

in October included details of Sparks's role in the liberation of the

Dachau concentration camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...

. 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

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 divisio ...

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 ...

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 List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 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' wartime experiences were the subject of a 2020

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

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 simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

at 10799 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado was named in Sparks' 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 American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)

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