Private Cunningham was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy near Sangdong-ni, South Korea on 24 March 1951.

Cunningham was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman 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.