Private First Class Curneal was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on 27 October 1952.

Curneal was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.