(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, puts a flower on the casket in the Brigham City Cemetery, after the funeral for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed last month in Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Military aircraft perform a flyover at the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, during the graveside service for Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., who was killed in Afghanistan last month.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Family members of Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. watch as Apache helicopters fly over the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, during the graveside service for Fuchigami, who was killed in Afghanistan last month.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Helicopter pilot, Jared Morris, salutes Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr's casket after the funeral in Brigham City. Morris trained with Fuchigami Jr, before he left for Afghanistan. Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, puts a flower on the casket in the Brigham City Cemetery, after the funeral for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed in Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, stands by the casket with Kirk T. Fuchigami Sr, after the funeral for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed in Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, stands by the casket with Kirk T. Fuchigami Sr, after the funeral for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed last month in Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami stands by the casket of her husband, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami, Jr., who was killed last month in Afghanistan,with Kirk Fuchigami, Sr., at the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jared Morris salutes Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami, Jr., after the funeral in Brigham City, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. Morris trained with Fuchigami before he left for Afghanistan.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The casket of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. is carried into the cemetery by an Honor Guard for the graveside service at the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. Fuchigami was killed in Afghanistan last month.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The casket of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. is carried into the cemetery by an Honor Guard for the graveside service at the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. Fuchigami was killed in Afghanistan last month.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Family members of Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. watch as Apache helicopters fly over the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, during the graveside service for Fuchigami, who was killed in Afghanistan last month.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, (left) holds the flag from her husbands casket along with Lisa Marie Casey, Kirk's mother, during the military fly-over, in the Brigham City Cemetery, during the the graveside service for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed in Afghanistan. Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, holds the flag from her husbands casket during the military fly-over, in the Brigham City Cemetery, during the the graveside service for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed in Afghanistan. Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKenzie Fuchigami, holds the flag from her husbands casket during the graveside service for her husband Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. in the Brigham City Cemetery, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kirk T. Fuchigami Sr. holds the flag during the the graveside service for his son, Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. who was killed in Afghanistan. Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
A U.S. Army pilot killed in action in Afghanistan when his helicopter crashed was buried Monday in Utah.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., 25, was from Keaau, Hawaii; his wife of eight months, McKenzie Norman Fuchigami, is a Utah native.
“He was and is a strong, courageous soldier and loyal husband,” McKenzie Norman Fuchigami posted on Facebook. “Eight months of marriage with him [were] the best months of my life. He taught me so much about love and respect. I’m blessed to have been loved by him so fiercely. We still have eternity, babe, can’t get off that easy.”
Fuchigami and Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle were killed Nov. 20 when their Apache helicopter crashed. They were flying in support of ground troops operating in the Logar Province outside of Kabul, according to Pentagon officials. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.
Funeral services were held Monday at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Brigham City. Fuchigami joined the Army three years ago after serving an LDS mission to Japan.
Fuchigami was buried with full military honors, including a flyover that included four Apache helicopters, at the Brigham City Cemetery. The city fire department hung a large American flag from their truck. The service included a 21 gun salute, the playing of taps and a presentation of flags to Fuchigami’s wife and parents.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from dawn to dusk Monday to honor Fuchigami, whose “sacrifice and dedication will never be forgotten.”
