Cuzzupe, Paul Orazio Ii
Male
Verified Paul Orazio II Cuzzupe, 23, was a U.S. Army Private First Class from Plant City, Florida. He was killed by an IED on August 8, 2010, in Akhtar-Mohammad-Khar, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Paul Orazio II Cuzzupe was a 23-year-old soldier from Plant City, Florida. He served as a Private First Class with G Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which was operating as part of Task Force Dragoon in southern Afghanistan.
On August 8, 2010, Cuzzupe was on a dismounted patrol with his unit in the village of Akhtar-Mohammad-Khar, located in Kandahar province. According to U.S. military reports, the patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device. Cuzzupe was killed in the blast.
Cuzzupe's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2010, the conflict was marked by a significant U.S. troop surge, with intense counterinsurgency operations focused on Taliban strongholds in provinces like Kandahar.
Following his death, Cuzzupe's body was returned to the United States. He was buried with military honors. The Tampa Bay Times reported that he was remembered by family as a quiet man who was proud to serve.
Cuzzupe is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and on online veterans' memorials. His name is inscribed on Panel 7W, Line 109 of the Afghanistan Conflict Memorial Wall at the National Infantry Museum in Georgia.
Explore Further
Paul Cuzzupe was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
