D A Cunningham Popular Books
D A Cunningham Biography & Facts
Randall Harold "Duke" Cunningham (born December 8, 1941) is an American former politician, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran and fighter ace. Cunningham served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th district from 1991 to 2005, and later served prison time for accepting bribes from defense contractors. Prior to his political career, Cunningham was an officer and pilot in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. Following the Vietnam War, during which he became the U.S. Navy's only fighter pilot ace, Cunningham became an instructor at the U.S. Navy's Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN) and commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 126 (VF-126), a shore-based adversary squadron at NAS Miramar, California. In 1990, Cunningham ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Democratic incumbent Jim Bates. He served in the House from 1991 to 2005. Cunningham resigned from the House on November 28, 2005, after pleading guilty to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes and under-reporting his taxable income for 2004. He was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison and was ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution. On June 4, 2013, Cunningham completed his prison sentence. He was granted a conditional pardon by President Donald Trump in 2021. Early life Cunningham was born in Los Angeles, California, to Randall and Lela Cunningham on December 8, 1941, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His father was a truck driver for Union Oil at the time. Around 1945, the family moved to Fresno, where Cunningham's father purchased a gas station. In 1953 they moved to rural Shelbina, Missouri, where his parents purchased and managed the five-and-dime Cunningham Variety Store. Education and military service Cunningham graduated from Shelbina High School in 1959. He attended Kirksville Teacher's College for one year before transferring to the University of Missouri in Columbia. Cunningham graduated with a bachelor's degree in education and physical education in 1964; he obtained his M.A. in education the following year. He was hired as a physical education teacher and swimming coach at Hinsdale Central High School, where he stayed for one year. Two members of his swim team competed in the 1968 Olympics, where they earned a gold and a silver medal. Cunningham joined the United States Navy in 1967. During his service, Cunningham and his Navigator/Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) "Irish" Driscoll became the only Navy aces in the Vietnam War, flying an F-4 Phantom II from aboard aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64). He and Driscoll recorded five aerial victories against North Vietnamese MiG-21 and MiG-17 aircraft between January and May 1972, including three kills in one flight (earning them the Navy Cross). In the final engagement, Cunningham downed a MiG-17, which was supposedly piloted by "Colonel Toon", a mythical North Vietnam Air Force fighter ace loosely based on a North Vietnamese pilot from the 921st Fighter Regiment named Nguyen Van Coc. It was later revealed by historians there was no such Colonel Toon and the story was fabricated by Cunningham himself. Van Coc retired from the Vietnamese People’s Air Force in 2002. While returning to the carrier after the final shoot-down, Cunningham and Driscoll were forced to eject from their F-4 over water near Nam Dinh, but they were rescued by Navy helicopter. After returning to the US from Vietnam in 1972, Cunningham became an instructor at the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego. He was reportedly nearly court-martialed for allegedly breaking into his commanding officer's office to compare his records and fitness reports with those of his colleagues — a charge denied by Cunningham but supported by two of his superior officers at the time. Cunningham served tours with VF-154, United States Seventh Fleet, and as executive officer/commanding officer of the shore-based adversary squadron VF-126. In 1985, Cunningham earned an MBA from National University. In 1987, he was featured on the PBS broadcast of the NOVA special "Top Gun And Beyond", during which he recounted his engagement with the North Vietnamese fighter pilot thought to be the mythical "Colonel Toon". He retired from the Navy with the final rank of commander in 1987, settling in Del Mar, a suburb of San Diego. Cunningham became nationally known as a CNN commentator on naval aircraft in the run-up to the Persian Gulf War. Political career Cunningham's visibility as a CNN commentator led several Republican leaders to approach him about running in what was then the 44th District, one of four congressional districts that divided San Diego. The district had been held for eight years by Democrat Jim Bates, and was considered the most Democratic district in the San Diego area. However, Bates was bogged down in a scandal involving charges of sexual harassment. Cunningham won the Republican nomination in 1990 and hammered Bates about the scandal, promising to be "a congressman we can be proud of." He won by just one percentage point, giving Republicans full representation of the San Diego area for only the second time since the city was split into two districts after the 1960 census. Cunningham's status as a Vietnam war hero made him a sought-after source, by colleagues and the media, in the debate on whether to use military force against Iraq in the lead up to the first Gulf War. Guy Vander Jagt of Michigan, longtime chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said that Cunningham had considerable "drawing power" and was treated as a celebrity by his fellow Republicans. After the 1990 census, redistricting renumbered the 44th District as the 51st and created the 50th District, splitting off a significant portion of San Diego County. At the same time, the 51st added several areas of heavily Republican North San Diego County. The new district included the home of Bill Lowery, a fellow Republican who had represented most of the other side of San Diego for the past 12 years. They faced one another in the Republican primary. Despite Lowery's seniority, his involvement in the House banking scandal hurt him. As polls showed Cunningham with a substantial lead, Lowery dropped out of the primary race, effectively handing Cunningham the nomination. Cunningham breezed to victory in November. Even though the district (renumbered as the 50th after the 2000 census) was not nearly as conservative as the other two Republican-held districts in the San Diego area, Cunningham was re-elected six times with no less than 55 percent of the vote. Cunningham was a member of the Appropriations and Intelligence committees, and chaired the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Human Intelligence Analysis and Counterintelligence during the 109th Congress. He was considered a leading Republican expert on national security issues. He was also a champion of education, using his po.... Discover the D A Cunningham popular books. Find the top 100 most popular D A Cunningham books.
Best Seller D A Cunningham Books of 2024
-
The Aloha Diary
D.B. CunninghamLeda Swann's technical career has settled into a predictable routine. When she is offered a chance to work in Honolulu, she accepts the challenge. Hoping for adventure, she is sedu...
-
Elizabeth Cunningham v. Anchor Hocking Corporation
First District Court of Appeal of FloridaThis cause is before us on appeal from the trial courts dismissal with prejudice of appellants complaint and from the courts rulings adverse to appellants on several discovery matt...
-
The Degustation of Dave
D. A. CunninghamDave, an ardent body builder and reclusive software developer, makes a decision that results in dire consequences; leaving him half the man he started out to be. Maimed and disfigu...
-
Maryetta Cunningham v. Columbus Mcnair Et Al.
Supreme Court of New York[48 A.D.2d 546 Page 547] Plaintiff, a New York resident, was a passenger in an automobile owned by a New York resident and driven by another New York resident on a trip which began...
-
Dorothy Cunningham v. General Electric Credit Corporation
Supreme Court of New YorkIn an action to recover punitive and compensatory damages for the alleged conversion of certain quarry equipment, defendant General Electric Credit Corporation appeals (1), as limi...
-
The Auschwitz Garden
D. A. CunninghamThis novel aims to capture the life story of a truly remarkable man who survived being a concentration camp prisoner in Auschwitz and Mauthausen and then immigrated to Australia wh...
-
Larry D. Cunningham v. State
Court of Criminal Appeals of AlabamaAppellant was indicted for murder in the first degree. He was alleged to have driven his automobile against another automobile in which the deceased was riding. Appellant pleaded n...
-
Patrick J. Cunningham v. State New York
Supreme Court of New YorkWhile the claim in question is somewhat unclear, from our reading and analysis, we are of the view that it seeks to allege causes of action for malicious prosecution, abuse of proc...
-
James D. Cunningham v. Doug Hiles
Court of Appeals of IndianaState of Indiana, Department of Natural Resources (Department), appeals from a judgment rendered against it on appellees claims of negligence. We reverse.
-
The Modern Library
Carmen Callil & Colm TóibínFor Colm Toíbín and Carmen Callil there is no difference between literary and commercial writing there is only the good novel: engrossing, inspirational, compelling. In their sele...
-
Matter John S. Cunningham v. Planning Board Town Brighton Et Al.
Supreme Court of New York[4 A.D.2d 313 Page 314] These are cross appeals from an order of Monroe County Special Term which directed, pursuant to article 78 of the Civil Practice Act and section...
-
Vincent A. Grieco Et Al. v. James Cunningham
Supreme Court of New YorkIn an action to recover damages for personal injuries, etc., the plaintiffs appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Underwood, J.), entered August 16, 1985, wh...
-
Matter William J. Cunningham v. Arthur Levitt
Supreme Court of New YorkOn November 13, 1969 petitioner was employed as a police officer by the Port of New York Authority and was injured in the course of his duties. He subsequently filed an application...
-
People State New York v. Richard Cunningham
Supreme Court of New YorkAppeal by defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County, rendered June 1, 1978, upon resentence, convicting him of grand larceny in the third degree and criminal pos...
-
Robert R. Cunningham v. Marthalynn D. Cunningham
Fifth District, Dallas Court of Appeals of TexasRobert R. Cunningham appeals from a default judgment of divorce which dissolved his marriage to Marthalynn Cunningham, divided the property, appointed Marthalynn managing conservat...
-
Matter Jere C. Cohan v. Patrick J. Cunningham
Supreme Court of New YorkApplication unanimously denied and petition dismissed, without costs. Memorandum: Petitioner seeks to vacate an order issued by respondent which granted an application to petitione...
-
Matter James R. Cunningham v. Thomas F. Mccoy
Supreme Court of New YorkAppeal from judgments of the Supreme Court at Special Term, entered June 27, 1969 in Kings County, which granted petitioners' applications in proceedings under CPLR article 78 to a...
-
Cunningham v. Gates
Supreme Court of AlaskaThis case arose from the bloody aftermath of a robbery in the Newbury Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. After police surrounded the getaway car, the two robbers, Robert Cunningham ...
-
People State New York v. Donald R. Cunningham
Supreme Court of New YorkAppeal by the defendant from a judgment of conviction by the County Court of Rensselaer County upon defendant's plea of guilty. The defendant first contends that a motion to suppre...
-
Last Man Standing
D. A. CunninghamThree hundred prisoners are marched out of Auschwitz, only one returns.This is a factual story about a death march endured by a prisoner of Auschwitz during World War II. It was to...
-
Robert D. Cunningham v. State Delaware
Supreme Court of DelawareORDER This 3rd day of June, 1996, the Court has considered appellee's motion to affirm pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 25(a) and finds it manifest on the face of appellant's opening...
-
People State New York v. Donald R. Cunningham
Supreme Court of New YorkAppeal by the defendant from a judgment of conviction by the County Court of Rensselaer County upon defendants plea of guilty. The defendant first contends that a motion to suppres...
-
People State New York v. John H. Cunningham
Supreme Court of New York[116 A.D.2d 585 Page 585] Appeal by defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Nassau County (Vitale, J.), rendered November 23, 1981, convicting him of robbery in the first d...
-
Patrick J. Cunningham v. State New York
Supreme Court of New YorkMotion by respondent for reargument denied, without costs. Motion and cross motion for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeals granted, without costs. No issue of fact was con...