Under gray skies threatening rain, hundreds of mourners today laid to rest a former Chattanoogan who died in Iraq this month.

U.S. Army Capt. Darrick Wright, 37, was buried this afternoon at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, after a funeral service at Chattanooga Funeral Home.

Capt. Wright died of noncombat-related cardiac arrest on Sept. 17 in Baghdad, where he’d been stationed since February, Army officers said. He was a member of the 926th Engineer Brigade, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala.

After an 11:30 a.m. funeral, a procession of vehicles drove to the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Bailey Avenue. Army officers led a burial ceremony with military honors, including flag presentations and a 21-gun salute. Officers released four doves, symbolizing the Holy Trinity joined by Capt. Wright as the fourth dove, said Capt. Michael Beach, the chaplain who led the ceremony.

Staff Photo by D. Patrick Harding Spec. 4 Seth Lamagna, left, of the 390th Engineer Company, stands at parade rest at the Chattanooga National Cemetery during the funeral of Capt. Darrick Wright. Capt. Wright, 37, died of noncombat-related illness while on duty in Iraq and was buried at the cemetery with full military honors.

“He was a great soldier,” Capt. Beach said after the burial.

“He had the skills, the knowledge, the expertise, everything required for soldiering, but he was an all-around good guy, and that made a world of difference,” he said. “Everybody you talk to, they knew that he knew his job and they trust him — he’s a great leader. But they also trust him personally.”

For complete details see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.

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