Felix Sparks led elements of the 45th Division through heavy fighting and the liberation of Dachau.
Here s What You Need to Know: The 45th, or “Thunderbird” Division, was a National Guard outfit formed primarily of units from Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The morning of February 16, 1944, dawned foggy over the Via Anziate in Anzio, Italy. The 45th Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment had advanced overnight to take positions on the west side of the roadway, assuming its place on the front line. Company E, commanded by Captain Felix Sparks, was assigned to one end of the battalion’s line, where it bordered the division’s 179th Regiment.