SUBJ: IN MEMORIUM FOR RADM BENNETT S. "BUD" SPARKS
A. ALCOAST 316/09
1. IN REF (A), THE COMMANDANT ANNOUNCED THE PASSING OF REAR ADMIRAL
BENNETT S. "BUD" SPARKS ON MAY 22, 2009 IN WINDSOR, CALIFORNIA, AT
83 YEARS OF AGE. RADM SPARKS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS ONE OF A KIND,
A TRUE PATRIOT, A REAL LEGEND, AS WELL AS A LOVING FAMILY MAN. IN
AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH/APRIL 2001 RESERVIST MAGAZINE,
RADM SPARKS WROTE THAT IF HE HAD ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE HIS MORE THAN
FIVE-DECADE COAST GUARD CAREER, (1942-89), IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
"OPPORTUNITY." THROUGHOUT HIS COAST GUARD CAREER, HE HAD MANY
OPPORTUNITIES AND ALWAYS MADE THE MOST OF THEM. HE WILL ALWAYS BE
REMEMBERED FONDLY BY THOSE WHO KNEW AND WORKED WITH HIM THROUGHOUT
THE YEARS.
2. BORN OCTOBER 10, 1925, IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, RADM SPARKS
JOINED THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD RESERVE IN DECEMBER 1942,
TAKING A TRAIN FROM ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA TO BOOT CAMP AT MANHATTAN
BEACH, NEW YORK. AFTER BOOT CAMP, HE SERVED IN ENLISTED RANKS FROM
SEAMAN RECRUIT/E-1 TO CHIEF PETTY OFFICER/E-7.
3. DURING WORLD WAR II, HE SERVED AS A COMBAT AIR CREWMAN ABOARD A
VARIETY OF COAST GUARD AIRCRAFT IN THE PACIFIC, ATLANTIC AND
EUROPEAN THEATERS, FLYING BOTH ANTI-SUBMARINE AND AIR-SEA RESCUE
MISSIONS. IN 1946, HE TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR COAST GUARD, AND
IN 1957, RECEIVED A FIELD PROMOTION TO ENSIGN. AS A PILOT, HE FLEW
AS BOTH A COAST GUARD AND CIVILIAN AVIATOR IN ALASKA FROM 1946 TO
1957 ON MAPPING MISSIONS FOR THE U.S. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY
(WHICH BECAME PART OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION IN 1970).
4. FROM 1966 TO 1989, RADM SPARKS HELD NINE CONSECUTIVE COMMANDS:
FOUR COAST GUARD UNITS, THREE COAST GUARD GROUPS, AND TWO U.S. NAVY
MARITIME DEFENSE ZONE SECTORS. HE ALSO SERVED AS DISTRICT INSPECTOR
FOR THE ELEVENTH COAST GUARD DISTRICT AND AS SENIOR COAST GUARD
RESERVE OFFICER FOR THE PACIFIC AREA IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE
ATLANTIC AREA IN NEW YORK. HE COMMANDED THE UNITED STATES NAVY
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MARITIME DEFENSE ZONE HEADQUARTERED IN SAN
FRANCISCO AND LATER THE MARITIME DEFENSE ZONE SECTOR SIX AT THE
U.S. NAVY BASE IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
5. RADM SPARKS TRAINING INCLUDED THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, NATIONAL
WAR COLLEGE, NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY, INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE OF THE
ARMED FORCES, AND THE ARMY WAR COLLEGE. NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT
REAGAN FOR FLAG RANK IN THE USCGR IN FEBRUARY 1985, HE WAS PROMOTED
TO REAR ADMIRAL (UPPER HALF) IN 1987.
6. IN 1989, HE SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND
RESERVE CAPABILITY STUDY (SPARCS-89). THIS STUDY POSED A BROADER
DEFINITION OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION,
SERVING AS A LONG-RANGE BLUE PRINT FOR THE COAST GUARD RESERVE AND
PROVIDING THE THEORETICAL BASIS FOR COAST GUARD-WIDE INTEGRATION OF
ACTIVE AND RESERVE FORCES. IN JULY 1989, HE RETIRED FROM THE
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD RESERVE AFTER 47 YEARS OF SERVICE.
7. MAINTAINING HIS INVOLVEMENT, RADM SPARKS BECAME THE FIRST COAST
GUARDSMAN TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT FOR THE RESERVE OFFICERS
ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES. HE ALSO SERVED AS THE NATIONAL
DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF
THE UNITED STATES IN WASHINGTON, DC FROM 1988-91, WITH ADDITIONAL
DUTIES AS DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. IN
ADDITION, HE SERVED AS CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION TO THE
INTER-ALLIED CONFEDERATION OF RESERVE OFFICERS (CIOR) AT NATO
HEADQUARTERS IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. IN 1992, HE WAS APPOINTED TO A
TWO-YEAR TERM AS INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY GENERAL OF CIOR, A
POSITION OPEN TO THE UNITED STATES ONLY EVERY 24 YEARS. HE WAS THE
FIRST COAST GUARD OFFICER TO EVER HOLD AN INTERNATIONAL POSITION IN
THE CIOR.
8. IN 1993, THE TOTAL FORCE AWARD WAS RENAMED THE RADM BENNETT S.
"BUD" SPARKS TOTAL FORCE AWARD IN HIS HONOR. THE AWARD IS
PRESENTED ANNUALLY BY THE RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE
UNITED STATES TO THE COAST GUARD UNIT JUDGED TO BE THE MOST
SUPPORTIVE OF A TOTALLY INTEGRATED COAST GUARD FORCE DEMONSTRATED
BY ITS EFFECTIVE USE OF COAST GUARD RESERVISTS.
9. RADM SPARKS IS SURVIVED BY FOUR CHILDREN, BENNETT JR., JAMES,
JOHN AND JULIEANN, A SISTER, DORIS LEDERMAN, 11 GRANDCHILDREN, 22
GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, AND ONE GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILD. HIS WIFE OF
60-PLUS YEARS, ELIZABETH "BETTY" SPARKS, PREDECEASED HIM OCTOBER
28, 2005, AS DID TWO OTHER CHILDREN, RICHARD AND DONNA.
10. A FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT WELLS FARGO CENTER, SANTA
ROSA, CALIFORNIA AT NOON ON SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009. INTERMENT
WILL FOLLOW AT SHILOH CEMETERY, WINDSOR, CALIFORNIA.
11. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY SUGGESTS MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
IN HIS NAME TO COAST GUARD MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, 4200 WILSON
BOULEVARD, SUITE 60, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22203-1804, THE VETERANS
HOME OF CALIFORNIA YOUNTVILLE, P.O. BOX 1200, YOUNTVILLE,
CALIFORNIA 94599, OR THE ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION NORTH BAY CHAPTER,
4340 REDWOOD HIGHWAY, SUITE D314, SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA 94903.
12. RDML D. R. MAY, DIRECTOR OF RESERVE AND TRAINING, SENDS.
13. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.