Captain Cummings was a veteran of World War II, serving as a bombardier with the U.S. Army Air Corps in Europe. In Korea, he was the pilot of a B-26C Invader bomber with the 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 543rd Tactical Support Group. On 5 January 1951, as he lifted his aircraft off the runway at Taegu Airfield (K-2), South Korea, the aircraft crashed killing all on board.

Cummings was awarded 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.