Calling his absence an "insult" and demanding he resign, Wright City residents blasted Mayor Roy White for failing to take part of or support a funeral procession two weeks ago for a local U.S. Army soldier who died in Iraq. The funeral procession was held July 16 following the death of Pvt. Lucas Bregg, a 19-year-old resident of Wright City, eight days earlier. Residents packed city hall to voice their concerns during the public portion of last Thursday's board of aldermen meeting as talk swirled around town that White objected to the city taking a leading role in recognizing the fallen soldier. "To say that the city didn't want to get involved, that is an insult to me," sad longtime resident Tom Dixon, 61, a military veteran. Much of the procession was organized by Board President Jamey Abercrombie, a member of the Army Reserves. Numerous local emergency responders escorted Bregg's body from Lambert International Airport to Wright City where an estimated crowd of more than 2,000 people lined the streets alongside nearly 400 American flags. The procession included vehicles from the Wright City Fire Department, Warren County Sheriff's Department, Warrenton Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Local Patriot Guard riders also participated. White, who served 10 years in the military, acknowledged that he did not attend the procession. He said he had been tending to personal matters, including the recent deaths of a sister and another sibling's child. "I think it's very sad that you keep bringing it up and not letting his family rest and do their grieving the way they want to," White stated to residents at last week's meeting. Roland Niemann responded by saying "The family is resting fine. The citizens of Wright City are not resting fine." Abercrombie said he spoke to White on Wednesday morning and asked what the city planned on doing. Abercrombie added that White said nothing would be scheduled until the family personally notified the city. "I have not gotten along with Angie (Reynolds), I have not gotten along with Jim (Schuchmann), but all four of us united and came to that corner and stood there as one for one soldier," Abercrombie said. Abercrombie noted that it wasn't until Wednesday morning that it became known that Bregg's body would be arriving in St. Louis the following afternoon. By that afternoon and evening, organizers of the procession began encouraging residents through the local media, phone calls and e-mails to attend the procession. The residents stated that White had plenty of time to bring the community together to honor Bregg. "I don't understand any of it," said Christine Lemons, a Wright City business owner. "That was your time as a mayor to shine. That truly was your time." White said he did not want to be part of the procession for political reasons. He declined to comment further when pressured by those in attendance. When pressed by Dixon to resign, White answered, "Absolutely not. Resignation is not in my vocabulary. I know where I've been, I know where I'm at and I know where I'm going." Residents applauded the aldermen, divisive on many issues, for supporting the procession by standing alongside one another. "We can't change what happened," Dixon said. "It was a tragedy. You not being involved was a bigger tragedy." At one point during the public portion of the meeting as the discussion became heated, White pounded the gavel and said no more public comments were going to be allowed. Alderman Jim Schuchmann then followed by making a motion to allow the vocal residents to be heard. The board supported the move by a 4-0 vote. Wright City Police Chief Henry Matthews also remarked on his own behalf to clear any rumors that he was not in support of the procession. A veteran himself, Matthews said he served two tours in Korea and five in Vietnam. "I am hearing on the street that I would not have anything to do with this," Matthews said. "That is totally wrong. I want people to understand that was not right." Abercrombie also dispelled rumors that he had an interest in running for mayor in April when asked by Lemons. After the meeting when speaking with reporters, White stated he would seek re-election and was not concerned about the uproar caused by his refusal to participate in the procession. If he had a chance to do it all over again, he would not do anything different, he said. "The people of Wright City will judge me, not a select few," White said. "I'm not going anywhere and before I go, special interest and favoritism will not be welcomed in Wright City. It's not operated for a select few. It's not going to be turned back that way."