Corporal Downing was a medic with the Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while tending his wounded comrades in South Korea on 13 February 1951 and died while a prisoner on 19 June 1951.

Downing was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, 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.