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http://www.madisoncountyrecord.com/articles/2004/06/03/news/news1.txt

Nabbing 'Number One'

Madison soldier manned gun as Saddam Hussein brought in

Mitch Freeman, Madison Record

Even at the young age of 23, Pfc. Joe Sparks has lots of stories to tell.

There are stories about the times as a child he played in the woods on the east side of Rainbow Mountain. There's more about his experiences as a wrestler and football player at Bob Jones High School and his later work at Auburn University.

But it's the stories he's brought back from Iraq - especially those involving the capture of one of the world's most wanted men - that will stay with Sparks the longest.

Sparks has been in the military for more than a year and was home recently from an eighth-month tour in Iraq. He made the 900-mile trip from Ft. Hood, Texas to see his parents, Martha and David, and his brother, Jeff.

The trip, he said, was so he could see his family for a few days and eat some barbecue.

His welcome was warm.

"They had yellow ribbons tied to everything," he said.

It was a much different scene several months ago when Sparks, a U.S. Army cavalry scout, was with a group of Special Operations Forces soldiers who captured deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. Sparks is one of a group of 75-80 soldiers that do scouting work for an Army brigade of thousands of military personnel.

"We're the eyes and ears of the commander," he said. "We go out first to do reconnaissance and scout the lay of the land."

For Sparks, the story of Hussein's capture begins during a three-day mission his unit was on in Salah Ad Din, an area north of Baghdad near the Tigris River.

Sparks' unit was going through abandoned Iraqi military compounds, checking to make sure residents were compliant with weapons regulations. The group wrapped up its work and headed back to the base.

"No sooner than the last man came in and dropped his bag next to his cot, they said mount up. We were all looking forward to a good night's sleep that night," Sparks said.

It was about 5 p.m.

They knew they were going to Tikrit, and they had an idea what they might be going to do, but weren't certain.

"Seems like any time they had a Number 1 (Hussein) sighting, they would call Golf Troop to come get him," he said in reference to his unit.

They sat on standby for a couple of hours at brigade headquarters, waiting on further orders. Sparks said they finally talked the platoon leaders into letting them go eat. About the time the first group got into the food tent, they sent Sparks to bring them back.

It was time to move out.

They soon joined forces with Special Operations Forces and were given mission plans.

"By this time, we all knew we were going after Number 1, but no one came out and said it."

The cavalry's task was to provide security around the two buildings in the area where Hussein was thought to be hiding. Sparks said cavalry trucks surrounded both buildings and it was their responsibility to capture any one who might try to escape when Special Forces soldiers went in.

"We had one vehicle set up to chase and we secured the perimeter."

Sparks was positioned behind a 50-calibre machine gun mounted on one of the trucks when he looked through the lens of his long-range surveillance system. He saw Hussein, bearded and bedraggled, put into a helicopter and taken away.

"Jim Morrison (former lead singer of the 1960s band "The Doors") was the code word. I heard them say, 'Jim Morrison has been taken into custody."

Sparks is back at Ft. Hood now, training for future military action. He said he'll go back to Iraq in March 2005 and expects to discharge from the Army in November of 2005. He plans to return to Auburn University to finish a business degree.

Until then however, Sparks plans to continue his work in the military, following in the footsteps of his grandfathers, one of whom served in the Army, the other in the Marines.

"It's sort of been in my blood. I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life," Sparks said.

Thursday, June 3, 2004 11:41 AM CDT

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