Sep 26, 2005 By Jenny Susa 3 min read

A senior at California Area High School and member of Boy Scout Troop 1404 is trying to reach the troops in Iraq in a big way. Marshall Fife said that he is calling his Eagle Scout project “Operation: American Hero,” and he is in the process of collecting everyday items that American soldiers overseas might need.

Fife said his goal is to make 200 care packages to distribute to the troops in Iraq, and his inspiration comes from having a friend serving there now.

“I’ve seen photos and it just tore me down to think of what they are doing for us over there and that they are not always getting day-to-day items,” said Fife. “They just need a lot of normal things that we use every day and that they could carry with them, so that when they are out they can pull a Slim Jim from their back pack. I just think of it in terms of what I would need if I was over there.”

Fife said that he has received overwhelming support from the community and surrounding areas, and his scout leader and the rest of the troop.

“Every thing has gone smoothly so far and I’ve already gotten a lot of donations,” said Fife.

He said that in addition to collecting items for distribution, he is also trying to get financial support to help with shipping costs, since it will cost $7.80 to mail each package. He said he has gotten monetary donations from the California Optimist Club and Rose Plastic.

“That helped me tremendously with these packages because it will cost so much to send them,” said Fife, adding that the Rotary Club is also going to decide on a donation amount at their next board meeting.

Fife also said that he was in communication with Gov. Ed Rendell’s office, and he said they were trying to find a way to ship the packages at no cost.

“If they can help me ship these for free than I will be able to use the money I received to buy more items,” said Fife.

California Mayor Gerald “Galvie” Gardner said that he and the community supported Fife in this project 100 percent.

“This is a 17-year-old boy that has taken it upon himself to help this way and I think it’s great,” said Gardner, who has distributed flyers to spread the word about “Operation: American Hero.”

“We’re asking everyone who can to donate something,” said Gardner. “We’ve talked to some soldiers that came back and they have told us what they need. We really want to help the troops.”

Fife said he has appreciated the support of the community and surrounding areas during his project.

“The mayor and the council have really helped me a lot with donations and just getting things organized,” said Fife. “We have already collected a lot of items. I thought this would take a couple of weeks to get started but it took off right away. There are a lot of good-hearted people around here.”

Items that Fife is trying to collect for the soldiers include tooth brushes and tooth paste, floss, foot/body powder, baby wipes, disposable razors, hand sanitizers, cotton swabs, multi-vitamins, trail mix, beef jerky, power bars, individual cans of Pringles potato chips, white tube socks, dress socks and Army green colored T-shirts.

Fife is trying to send the packages no later than the middle of October. Items can be dropped of at the California Borough Building, or call Fife at 724-938-3568 for more information.