Summary of Military Service

TRAINING

CDR Sparks attended Oklahoma A&M University, and participated in the Air Force ROTC program, for three years before leaving school in 1957 to join the Navy and attend the Naval Aviation Cadet program at Naval Air Station Pensacola. He began flight training as a Naval Aviation Cadet and graduated in February 1959 designated as a Naval Aviator/Helicopter pilot.

He was assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 8 at NAAS Ream Field, (Imperial Beach, CA) where he flew H-34 helicopters. While at the duty station he was designated a Helicopter Aircraft Commander, Helicopter Instructor Pilot, and Instrument Check Pilot. At the completion of this tour, he left the Navy to return to the University of Tulsa to complete his undergraduate degree. In January 1963, he joined the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron reserve unit at Naval Air Station Dallas. And soon decided his calling was the Navy, and returned to active duty.

VIETNAM

In June 1964 returned to active duty and was assigned to Tactical Air Control Squadron 11 at the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, CA. At that time, he flew several models of helicopters as well as single and multiengine aircraft. During this assignment, CDR Sparks had two tours of duty off the coast of South Vietnam. He served aboard the aircraft carriers USS Valley Forge and USS Princeton, as well as the amphibious force command ship USS Mount McKinley.

In 1966, he was assigned again to NAAS Ream Field. He was the Safety Officer, an aircraft commander and flew Search and Rescue missions over North and South Vietnam. He received the Navy Cross for one of those missions. After nine months at sea, the Squadron had a six-month turnaround then another nine-month deployment. The deployments were aboard the home aircraft carrier Hornet along other missions from the Constellation, Forrestal and Intrepid.

POST VIETNAM

He was subsequently posted to Naval Activities Command, UK in London for three years (1971-74) as operations officer. CDR Sparks This role served as a naval liaison to all naval entities in the United Kingdom.

The next assignment was at the Naval Station Mayport (FL) where his was given command of a startup Helicopter Anti-Submarine (Light)-36. It was the first squadron to be assigned to that base.

In April 1977, CDR Sparks was assigned to the navy ship USS Inchon as Operations Officer. The Inchon was an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship that was the first amphibious assault ship designed and built as dedicated helicopter carriers, capable of operating up to 20 helicopters to carry up to 1,800 marines ashore. That ship made two Mediterranean deployments and a Show-The-Flag deployment to the West Coast of Africa and onto Brazil. These deployments were a show of naval and marine forces to counter the growing presence of Russia and Cuba in these areas.

In 1970, CDR Sparks was assigned to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, CA where he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering sciences.

Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Attack Helicopter (Light) Squadron-3 Sea Wolves at a land base in Vietnam near Binh Thuy. CDR Sparks commanded Detachment 7. This unit flew armed Army UH-1B helicopters in close air support for Navy Seals and Navy River Forces in South Vietnam. This assignment was CDR Sparks' fifth tour of combat duty during the Vietnam War. He earned a Bronze Star "V" during this tour.