Sergeant Culhane was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Battery B, 176th Field Artillery Battalion, 40th Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action after his observation post on Hill 572 in North Korea was overrun on 29 September 1952. He was presumed dead on 31 December 1953. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Sergeant Culhane was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.