Soldiers Sent Some Comforts of Home : Gulf: Toilet paper tops many Marines’ wish lists. But soap, snacks, pens and dice are also on the way from Litton workers.

Kathy Davidson and her colleagues have vowed to take care of the needs of a group of American troops in the Mideast for the duration, sending them letters, soap, detergent, magazines and other necessities for a desert vigil.

Like toilet paper.

Toilet paper, it seems, is the No. 1 item on the wish list of an isolated military force.

“There’s no grocery stores where your Marine can just go and pick up a roll, and their meal kits contain only four to five sheets of single ply,” said Gunnery Sgt. Bob Torres, a spokesman for the U.S. Marines.

“You can see why it’s our top priority until the portable PXs get set up.”

Surprised at the need but determined to do their patriotic duty, Davidson and some of her fellow employees at Litton Guidance & Control Systems in Woodland Hills started loading up shopping carts with goods for the troops about two weeks ago.

Wednesday, they finished boxing 111 rolls of toilet paper and other goods totaling 380 pounds. The packages, which Litton will pay to ship to Saudi Arabia, also contain 140 packages of chewing gum, 400 envelopes, 32 batteries, 75 dozen pens and pencils and two packages of dice for shooting craps.

“I said, ‘Tell us what you need and you got it,’ ” said Davidson, 53, a project coordinator whose 21-year-old son is planning to join the Navy in June.

The goodies were divided into four packages--one for each branch of the service. Each box also contains a photograph of the 13 people in Davidson’s work group who started the campaign.

“It’s refreshing to see something being done this time around for the soldiers,” said Phil Ballensky, a Vietnam veteran and Litton employee who donated about 400 hard candies that will not melt in the desert heat. “Whether you believe in what the government is doing or not, they’re over there on our behalf.”

Davidson’s group is just one of many in the Southland to start letter-writing campaigns or send gift packages to military personnel overseas, Torres said.

“Marines love their ‘M&Ms;’--meals and mail,” he said. “That’s why I push so much for people to write.”

But Dave Cress, 47, a Litton project coordinator, said the 66 packages of snacks he and others donated will have to suffice.

“I’m not a good letter writer--Cornnuts will have to do,” Cress said.