US Army Pilot Killed In Afghanistan Laid To Rest In Brigham City
Dec 9, 2019, 5:44 AM | Updated: 8:16 pm
BRIGHAM CITY, Utah – Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk Fuchigami Jr. was laid to rest in the Brigham City Cemetery with full military honors.
Hundreds gathered at the cemetery on Monday to honor Fuchigami, who died in a Nov. 20 helicopter crash while providing security for U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan’s Logar Province.
Friends and family say piloting an Apache helicopter was a lifelong dream for Fuchigami.
“It’s something that he always wanted to do,” said Fuchigami’s brother-in-law Nathan Salisbury. “So you put that fear behind you, and go out and serve. And he did it every day… every day.”
Salisbury also attended flight school with Fuchigami at Fort Rucker in Alabama.
“I remember him sitting down before he was selected, there in our kitchen, and he just stated he always wanted to do something bigger than himself, and he always wanted to serve the country,” Salisbury said.
Tyson Roberts, who also attended the same flight school and accompanied Fuchigami’s body from Dover Air Force Base to Utah, said he talked with Fuchigami shortly before that final deployment.
“There were two different things that we talked about, and it was how excited he was for this deployment, how excited he was to be able to go and serve his country, and how much he was going to miss his wife,” he said.
Army Apache pilot, Kirk Fuchigami is laid to rest, in Brigham City. The graveside service, and memories from his brother in-law and a friend, on @KSL5TV at 5&6:30pm pic.twitter.com/Nph7Co0I1L
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) December 9, 2019
Fuchigami’s body was given a dignified transfer from Ogden-Hinckley Airport to Brigham City, which included a full flag procession by volunteers with Follow the Flag on Saturday.
Fuchigami also served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kobe, Japan. He joined the military at age 22 and married McKenzie Fuchigami, who is from Corrine, Utah, in March.
Gov. Gary Herbert ordered U.S. and Utah state flags at state facilities and public grounds be flown at half staff Monday in Fuchigami’s honor.
Funeral services for Chief Warrant Officer Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. in #Utah
The details on #KSLTV this morning pic.twitter.com/kmitRXavY1
— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) December 9, 2019
