A 1988 graduate of Oxford Hills High School in South Paris has become the second Maine soldier to die in the war with Iraq.
Spc. Daniel Francis J. Cunningham, who has family in Lewiston and Auburn, was killed Friday along with two other soldiers when their vehicle swerved to avoid artillery fire and crashed into a ravine, his brother said Monday.
Cunningham, 33, was married and had a 10-year-old son. His own father died six months ago. The last time he was in Maine was for the funeral.
James Cunningham, of Auburn, described his older brother as "just a stand-up guy" who loved sports and enjoyed music, and who joined the Army because it was a good way to get benefits for his son, Connor, who has been living with his mother in Revere, Mass.
"He was great," James Cunningham said. "Every joke I tell is from him, I can tell you that. He's just real witty, always on top of things. He's the type of guy you want to be around."
James Cunningham said he last spoke to his brother in February, a few days before he shipped out to the Middle East. He said Daniel Cunningham told him not to worry.
"He was a pretty cool, calm guy," James Cunningham said. "Never really showed a lot of emotion unless it was laughing. Him and I talked about it, and it was basically, `I'm going to go over and do what has to be done and I'll be back.' He said he would be safe and he would return and that's about it. I figured the same.
"You see this stuff on TV, you don't think it's going to come right into your living room. It's a nightmare."
James Cunningham said his brother had worked in restaurants, and had talked about opening a restaurant and sports bar in Florida when he left the Army.
"He could watch NASCAR 24-7," James Cunningham said.
He said he and his brother were close friends, even though they are nine years apart in age and didn't get to see each other much.
"He was the closest one I had," James Cunningham said.
When his brother was around, the two "would hang out, watch "SportsCenter," have a couple of beers, go to a bar, play some pool."
His favorite beer?
"Anything that was wet, man," James Cunningham said.
Daniel Cunningham used to tease his brother for being a Yankees fan. He enjoyed football and hockey as well as NASCAR.
He also was a fan of Motley Crue and of Kidd Rock.
"He called me up one night coming back from a concert. He was in Florida, he went and saw Kidd Rock and he was all jazzed up about it," James Cunningham said.
The two talked about "just everything - talked about the show, how good it was . . . about cars and girls and all the simple stuff."
Daniel Cunningham's wife, Heather, said, "Dan was a very noble serviceman who was proud to serve his country. I would like people to know he was a good man, a very loving father and proud to serve his country."
Cunningham was the oldest of four brothers. His mother, Nancy Cunningham, lives in Lewiston. His other brothers are David, who lives in Hampton, N.H., and Kevin, who lives in Auburn.
Daniel Cunningham was a member of the 41st Field Artillery, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga. He had been a soldier for 3 1/2 years.
The first Mainer killed in the war was Maj. Jay Aubin, who grew up in Skowhegan. He was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed in Kuwait.
Two other men from the 41st Field Artillery Regiment were killed with Cunningham - Pfc. Wilfred D. Bellard, 20, of Lake Charles, La., and Pvt. Devon D. Jones, 19, of San Diego.
In a written statement, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe said Cunningham "died defending our security and the freedom of the Iraqi people - a sacrifice that will always be remembered. . . . Words cannot express how grateful we all are for his service."
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins issued a statement saying Cunningham "served our nation...
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