By Rep. Matt Soper | The Western Slope Statesman
Brig. Gen. Felix Sparks was a famous resident of Delta, Colorado, and contributed significantly to the peace, safety, and general welfare of our great state and nation as a war hero in World War II and liberator of the Dachau Concentration Camp, District Attorney for the 7th Judicial District, water lawyer, and Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Associate Justice on the Colorado Supreme Court, and a Brigadier General of the Colorado National Guard.
General Sparks was a tremendous leader who made a positive impact on state and nation. He was born on August 2, 1917 in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in Arizona. He enlisted in the US Army in 1936, serving two years active duty, before joining the reserves and attending the University of Arizona. In 1939, Sparks was called to active duty again and commissioned a second lieutenant in 1940.