Navy presents Purple Heart to family of WWII veteran

MILLINGTON, Tenn. — A late World War II veteran is being recognized for his heroism 70 years later.

The family of Seaman First Class James Cunningham of Jackson met Saturday at the Navy Operational Support Center in Millington, where his family accepted the Purple Heart on his behalf.

“The Purple Heart is an honor to recognize those military personnel who were either wounded or gave their lives,” said Cunningham’s nephew James Pearson.

Cunningham died in 1945, after a German U-boat torpedoed the U.S.S. Eagle P-E 56.

The U.S.S. Eagle, carrying Cunningham and 66 other crew members, was lost to sea until a group of 8 divers recently located it.

“We spent four or five years searching for this wreck, and we’d had some good days and some bad days,” said diver Ryan King. “We spent a lot of days checking targets that turned out to be rocks.”

“I had been looking at pictures of the Eagle since I was a kid, and that day going up the side of the ship and seeing specific landmarks, it was awe inspiring,” said diver Jeff Goodreau.

The divers say finding the ship has not been the best part of this journey.

The best part has been how many lives they have touched.

“We’re hoping, if anything out of this, that the story of the Eagle 56 gets told and that as many families as can are able to get the recognition for their sailors,” King said.

In addition to the Purple Heart, Cunningham’s sister was also presented with the Navy Gold Star Families pin.