Corporal Cunningham was a member of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded in action while fighting the enemy in Korea on 8 September 1950 and died of those wounds later that day.

Cunningham was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, 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.