Blair Oaks High School will again organize a cookie drive for the crew aboard the USS Michael Murphy and is asking for the public’s help.
Those who want to help are asked to bring cookies in zip-close bags to Blair Oaks High School (Coach Holtmeyer’s room) on Thursday.
In addition to the cookies, Blair Oaks needs monetary donations to help cover the expense of shipping. Checks should be made out to Blair Oaks High School. The cost to ship the cookies can range from $200-$500.
To make it more convenient, residents can bring cookies to Legends Bank, 130 E. McCarty St., and staff will take them to the school. Cookies and/or monetary donations should be left at Legends Bank by 3 p.m. Thursday.
The ship is named after U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, of New York, who gave his life for his country and was recognized with the posthumous Medal of Honor.
Murphy and two other SEAL teammates were killed in 2005 in Afghanistan during a gunfight with Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings. Murphy knowingly exposed himself to enemy gunfire and risked his life by leaving cover to go into an open area of the mountainous terrain to get a better communication signal to call for help, according to the U.S. Navy’s account of the events.
Though severely wounded, he succeeded and returned to cover to continue the fight. A rescue team was dispatched, but their transport helicopter was shot down — killing another 16 members of Navy and Army special forces.
Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell — the lone survivor of Murphy’s SEAL team — wrote the book “Lone Survivor” about Red Wings that was adapted into the movie of the same title — and Murphy’s mother, Maureen, along with the parents of his two other fallen SEAL teammate, have in recent years spoken to students at Blair Oaks and Calvary Lutheran high schools.
Maureen had asked people to help her pack cookies for the sailors during one of her speeches, and that got the effort going.