Sergeant First Class Cutlip was a member of the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 29 July 1950. He was presumed dead on 31 December 1953.

For his leadership and valor, Sergeant First Class Cutlip was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, 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.