Harold Starnes

Harold Newton Starnes was born on November 30th, 1938, in Winnsboro, SC to Charles Odell Starnes and Cymbeline Kelly Starnes. He lived in Winnsboro and graduated high school from the Mount Zion Institute in 1956. In that same year, at the age of 17, he joined the United States Air Force and went to training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio TX.

His military career spanned 24 years and took him to many different places in the world. He met the love of his life Anna Maria Munoz-Estrada in 1964 while stationed at Torrejon Air Force Base, Madrid Spain. Harold and Ann were married on the Rock of Gibraltar July 17, 1965, and had three children (Albert, Charles, and Patricia). Harold also has one sister, Brenda Starnes Douglas, who wanted everyone to know that Hal was the “Best Brother Ever” and “that everyone loved him.”

In 1968 and 1969, Hal was called to service during the war in Vietnam. Harold was an Air Combat Crewman as a communications specialist and served primarily on two different aircraft during the war the C-47D and the C-130E. During his service in Vietnam, Hal bravely served his country while flying in 95 Air Combat Missions and amassing over 796 total hours in Southeast Asia in Hostile Territory.

While engaged in Air Combat Missions Harold received numerous combat decorations to include the Distinguished Flying Cross for Extraordinary Achievement While Participating in Areial Flight and 7 Air Medals for Meritorious Achievement While Participating in Areal Flight. These are only a few of the numerous combat and peacetime awards he received over his 24-year career.

After the war Hal was assigned to the Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Bellevue, Nebraska. While assigned at Offutt, he served on the EC-135 as part of “Operation Looking Glass” during the height of the Cold War. Operation Looking Glass’ highly trained crew and staff ensured there was always an aircraft ready to direct bombers and missiles from the air should ground-based command centers become inoperable. Looking Glass guaranteed that U.S. strategic forces would act only in the precise manner dictated by the President. This assignment was extremely demanding and consisted of a mixture of continuous airborne operations and ground Alerts which required numerous hours of waiting on standby on the flight line to launch additional aircraft should it become necessary. During his assignment as part of the Aircrew for looking glass, Hal became missile qualified by training and participating in the live aerial launch of the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System.

After Hal’s distinguished career and retirement from the Air Force he went back to school to get his Associates Degree in Electronics and went to work for Electrospace Systems Inc., serving in the airborne systems division, which changed names several times over the years and ultimately led to his retirement from Raytheon Technologies after 15 years of service.

Harold was called home by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 7th, 2022, surrounded by all three of his children in his home in Bosqueville, TX. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Ann Starnes of 41 years. He is survived by his three Children, Albert Starnes of Alexandria Virginia, Charles Starnes and wife, Kathy of Rockwall, Tx and Patricia Williamson of Oak Point, Tx.; his five grandchildren, Kristina K. Starnes-Monsivaiz, Jacob C. Williamson, Charles O. Starnes III, Thomas J. Starnes, and Cameron E. Sanderson; his sister, Brenda Starnes Douglas; his brother-in-law, Jesse Douglas; his niece, Margaret Lynn Douglas-Branham; and numerous other cousins, nieces and nephews.