Starbuck was born into a large family in
Denver, Colorado, on October 17, 1917, where she had 11 siblings. Starbuck graduated from
Loretto Heights College with a bachelor's degree in
journalism and went on to do graduate work at the
University of Denver. She taught
elementary school for two years. In 1942, Starbuck joined the
Women's Army Corps (WAC) and earned her commission from the Army Corps Officers' Candidate School as a
second lieutenant in 1942. Her first duty station was at
Lowry Army Airfield as a commander of a group of photo analysts. Starbuck later served overseas during
World War II and achieved the rank of
captain. In 1962, she was named the assistant director of the
Baltimore VA Regional Office, making her the first woman to earn a senior manager position in the VA. That same year, she argued that
Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) were not entitled to veterans' benefits since they had been a
civilian program. In 1980, she received the
President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. She died on July 19, 1996, and was buried at
Fort Logan National Cemetery. == References ==