Claire Brisebois Starnes was born in 1944 in Biddeford, Maine, and grew up in Lewiston.  She enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in 1963.  In 1969 she volunteered for Vietnam.

Over the years of the Vietnam war, an estimated 1,200 military women other than nurses served in country.  She was initially assigned to the U.S. Army Engineer Construction Agency, Vietnam (USAECAV) at Long Binh in February 1969.  In June 1969, she transferred to the Joint Headquarters of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), for duty with the Office of Information until July 1971. She eventually became a photojournalist, earning the military occupational specialty of Public Information Specialist.

Following more than two year in Vietnam, Claire was assigned to the Public Information Office at Fort Monroe, Virginia.  It was here that she met Edward C. Starnes, the talented Army journalist who, on April 12, 1973, became her husband.  She and Ed left the military later in 1973 to become civilian employees of the Department of the Army.

In 1975, with Ed serving as Assistant Public Information Officer at Fort Bliss, Texas, Claire took time off to earn her degree in Mass Communications with emphasis on print journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso.  Upon graduating in 1981, she joined Ed at Fort Bliss as assistant editor of the command's official worldwide technical magazine, Air Defense Artillery .

In 1987, the Starnes' moved to jobs at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.  Claire became editor of the Ordnance Corps' official worldwide technical journal, Ordnance Magazine , while Ed became Public Information Officer for the Ordnance Corps.  In 1994, Claire retired with 31 years of government service, all of which were with the U.S. Army.  In 2006, Claire and her late husband became the first and only husband/wife team to be inducted into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame.

In February 1999, Claire and Precilla Landry Wilkewitz, a former roommate in Long Binh, co-founded the non-profit organization, Vietnam Women Veterans, Inc. (VWV).  The VWV's purpose was to find all the line and staff officers and enlisted women who had served in Vietnam throughout the war.  By November 1999, more than 700 deceased and living of these women had been found.  That month, the VWV held its first conference in Olympia, Washington.

Throughout the years, Claire continued searching for the women and researching the histories of how these women had come to be stationed in South Vietnam.  This little-known group of Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy left its mark in Vietnam from 1962 to 1973, serving in a myriad of duties such as intelligence analysts, flight controllers, clerk-typists, translators, physical therapists, dietitians, communications specialists, photojournalists, finance clerks and couriers.

In late September 2015, the book Women Vietnam Veterans: Our Untold Stories was published.  Seventeen years in the making, the world would soon learn about the contributions made by these women.

She toured our country for almost four years, making her audiences aware of these women.  She lectured at the History Department of the US Army Military Academy at West Point and at several universities.  She has done live and recorded radio and television interviews in Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, California and Texas among others; and has recorded several Oral History interviews.  The BBC sent a photo-journalist to do a photograph essay for publication in England.  In addition, she had a one-year display of items and photos at the Prince Charles Regimental Museum in Hull, England.  She is also a permanent part of a world-traveling exhibition originating in England.

Claire loved music and enjoyed writing songs and playing keyboard, piano, and guitar.  She was happiest on her 2015 Spyder bike.  She also loved helping others.

Claire and Ed are survived by two sons, Sean, White Marsh, MD, and Bryan, Rising Sun, MD, eight grandchildren and many cousins.  Claire will be interred next to her husband at the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery in Springvale, Maine.  Dates for remembrances in NH/Maine and Maryland will be announced later.

In lieu of flowers or cards, please consider donating to:

Vietnam Women Veterans, Inc

VWV non-nurses

10185 Mammoth Avenue

Baton Rouge, LA 70814

Cremation care by Peaslee Funeral Home. To express condolences, please visit: www.peasleefuneralhome.com