Lt. Cunningham reportedly died in the Solomon Islands and his remains were not recovered. The lieutenant's plane was last seen departing from Carney Field, Guadalcanal on a combat mission. The plane left at 0419 hours in July 1943 for Georgia Island and return, but the plane was lost shortly after takeoff and never seen again.
Following the disappearance of the plane, two observations were made by other military personnel. The first crew observed a flashlight flashing Morse Code off Cape Esperance, which is a fourth of the way between the Savo Islands and Russell Islands. The Solomon Islands were thoroughly searched afterwards, but the results came up negative. A second crew observed red flares shooting into the sky from the vast expanse of sea. On July 25, a party was sent to fly the area and report back on any indication of the plane. Although they did not find any of the missing personnel, they did pass by debris that resembled that of a B-24. This search took place from August 9, 1947 to December 21, 1947. Cunningham was 25 years old on the day he went MIA. During the search for Cunningham's crew, the teams made an encounter with natives, and the closing of the case was recommended.
None of the recorded personnel were ever reported prisoner of war, internee or as having returned to duty after July 25, 1943. All remains of personnel were declared nonrecoverable. From the evidence found, it is reasonable to suppose that the plane crashed, and the crew perished. The flashlight SOS off Cape Esperance and red flares at 0540 reported could not definitely be identified as subject craft.
After Cunningham's case was closed, he was memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City, Philippines.