Three days before he was killed in Iraq, 2nd Lt. Peter Burks sent home a wish list for his fellow soldiers.

JIM MAHONEY/DMN

Laura Forman Burks, stepmother of 2nd Lt. Peter Burks, broke down Wednesday before opening a box of donated items sent from California. Lt. Burks, who sent home a wish list of items requested by those in his unit, was killed in Iraq; donations have since come in from across the nation.

The newly promoted leader of the 17-member Thunder Platoon surveyed his troops and tallied about 20 desired items, from cookies to playing cards.

"I'm doing my best to be a good leader here, and that includes taking care of the guys," he wrote in an e-mail to his fiancée, Melissa Haddad of McKinney.

Lt. Burks, 26, died Nov. 14 when a roadside bomb struck his unit's vehicle outside Baghdad's Green Zone. He was laid to rest Saturday at a cemetery in Melissa.

Now, family and friends are working to complete Lt. Burks' wish list in a rapidly growing effort that includes businesses, churches and schools from North Texas and around the country.

"We feel like our charge now, in Pete's stead, is to continue to take care of his guys," said his father, Alan Burks. "We're going to start with that list and keep it going."

Relatives started circulating the wish list while Lt. Burks was still alive. But interest in the list has grown since his death, as donors seek to honor the fallen soldier's wish to supply his comrades with comforts from home.

Some well-wishers have sent care packages to the homes of Lt. Burks' father and stepmother in Celina and his mother in McKinney. Others have dropped off items at Bling, a clothing store in downtown McKinney.

Maylee Thomas, the store's co-owner, said people have stopped by to donate everything from Pop Tarts to Hot Fries to after-shave cream. Employees shipped 24 boxes to Iraq this week.

"We've had young children come in; we've had a couple of veterans who know what it's like to be over there," Ms. Thomas said. "What we really want this to do is show these guys they're not forgotten. This was a kid that was so wise beyond his years and had a love for his fellow soldiers."

Julie Geldert of Plano dropped off supplies, including microwave popcorn, Tootsie Pops and Oreos, last week at the Burkses' Celina home. Each item comes with an encouraging note – "We believe in you guys!" and "Come home soon" – from her daughter Natalie, 13, and son Nicholas, 11.

"That family is just one of many that is giving it all to support our country," Ms. Geldert said. "They've given the ultimate. I want my kids to see what others are having to sacrifice, to understand the reality of it all."

Nobody knows exactly how many supplies have been donated, because some people are sending items directly to Iraq that won't reach the troops for several weeks.

Lt. Burks grew up in Dallas and graduated from Trinity Christian Academy and then Texas A&M University. But care packages are flowing in from far beyond Texas.

Schools and veterans groups are sending supplies from the Boston area, where Ms. Haddad's family lives. Family friends and former colleagues from California to Georgia to New York also have pitched in.

"It's been amazing to see how this thing virally has gone out, the circle of people that have been touched and have reached back out to us," Mr. Burks said.

He said, "Regardless of people's political views or what have you, it's been encouraging and positive for people to realize there's something that they can do tangibly and make a soldier feel better, feel appreciated."

2nd Lt. Peter Burks, who was killed in Iraq earlier this month, left behind this wish list for his fellow soldiers:

•Double Stuf Oreo cookies

•Chocolate-chip cookies

•Snack packs

•Blue Gatorade powder

•Microwave popcorn

•Pretzels

•Beef jerky

•Lollipops

•Pop Tarts with frosting

•Honey buns

•Hot Cheetos

•Hot Fries

•Fudge cookies

•Xbox 360 controllers

•Shaving cream and after-shave cream

•Toothbrushes

•Pens

•Baby wipes

•Playing cards/Uno cards

•Magazines (Sports Illustrated, ESPN, National Geographic)

•Cotton swabs

•Deodorant

Items can be sent directly to this address (a customs form, available at any post office, is required):

CH (CPT) Bryan Smith
4/2 SCR Camp Prosperity
APO – AE 09348

Items can be dropped off during business hours at Bling, a clothing store at 110 E. Louisiana St. in downtown McKinney; at Haggar Clothing Co.'s corporate offices at 11511 Luna Road in Dallas; or at Haggar retail stores in Dallas and Allen.

Peter Burks Unsung Hero Fund
Texas Star Bank
P.O. Box 1600
Celina, Texas 75009