Lieutenant General Thomas W. Kelly, 67


Retired Army Lt. General Thomas W. Kelly, 67, who supplied information to
hundreds of journalists as a spokesman for the Pentagon, died Tuesday, June
6, 2000, of pancreatic cancer at his home in Clifton, VA.

A Philadelphia native, General Kelly became a familiar face on national
television as the spokesman responsible for a daily news briefing during the
1991 Persian Gulf War; he also played a key role in the planning and
execution of military operations during Operation Desert Storm.

Described by friends as a no-nonsense guy and a soldier’s soldier, he came to
be known to millions of Americans through his televised briefings as a blunt,
believable man who wore thick glasses and displayed a dry sense of humor. He
came across as different from some other military brass - more down to earth,
a guy you might go with to a baseball game.

Gen. Kelly grew up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. He went to
parochial grade school, North Catholic High School, and Temple University,
where he majored in journalism. Temple also was where he met his wife of 43
years, Dot. She grew up in South Philadelphia, where her parents ran a tavern
called Joe’s Bar.

Gen. Kelly’s parents worked at the Inquirer. His father operated a Linotype;
his mother was a proofreader. His father died at age 41 in 1942, when Gen.
Kelly was 9. Gen. Kelly delivered the Evening Bulletin and once applied to be
a copy boy at the Inquirer.

After graduating high school, he entered Temple intending to become a
journalist, and enrolled in Temple’s ROTC program to meet his college
expenses. After he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1956, he owed the Army
four years of service time. He wound up spending 34 years in the military
before retiring in 1991.

His Army career included a stint as commander of Fort Dix, N.J., from 1983 to
1986. He also served as commander of the U.S. Army Security Affairs Command;
director of the Joint Special Operations Agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
and in NATO as war plans officer, Allied Forces Southern Europe. He served in
Vietnam as operations officer for the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry
Division. His helicopter was shot down four times and crashed six times; he
was wounded once, in the right hand.

Gen. Kelly said in a 1992 interview that the lessons learned in Vietnam were
applied to Desert Storm. "Every senior officer who planned this war was a
junior officer in Vietnam," he said. "We swore up and down it would never
happen again."

Gen. Kelly’s awards and decorations included the Defense Distinguished
Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the
Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, five Bronze Stars, and the
Purple Heart. In 1995 he was awarded the American Legion’s Distinguished
Service Medal.

Gen. Kelly enjoyed eating pasta, reading Tom Clancy novels, watching
Jeopardy!, and walking with his wife in Arlington National Cemetery, near his
home. He also "loved soldiers", he said after he retired. "I liked being
around them." Services will be Wednesday, June 14 in Virginia. Burial will be
in Arlington National Cemetery.

(excerpted from the obituary written by Rusty Pray, Inquirer Staff writer;
reprinted with permission.)


Personal Recollections


I first met General Kelly in the early 80’s during fund-raising activities
for the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The General spoke at a dinner
where he kept the audience laughing with his jokes. One that stuck in my mind
was of a crusty old WWII era General answering a young female reporters
question about the last time he was intimate with a woman; "That would be
1945 miss." the General said. "My God" , the young lady exclaimed, "that was
almost forty years ago!" "Not really" corrected the General, "It’s only 2015
right now."

Years later, I wrote General Kelly and asked him to speak at our reunion in
Philadelphia in 1991, recalling the above joke. I knew the General, now
retired, was now commanding high speaking fees after his popularity as the
spokesman during the Desert Storm press briefings. I explained we could not
afford to pay him any fees, but would provide him with "…a room, meals, beer
and the special camaraderie of the Blackhorse". He faxed his acceptance the
next day.

I had the honor of introducing General Kelly at the banquet dinner and noted
that he was the first speaker we had who did not serve with the Blackhorse.
General Kelly politely corrected me, pointing out that he had served with the
Blackhorse when it was constituted as the Constabulary Force in Germany in
the late 50’s. To verify this, he pointed to an elderly black man in the
audience, who General Kelly had not seen in 30+ years, and mentioned, "…you
could ask MSGT Ed Hogan who served with me at that time". He asked Ed to
stand and be recognized, and it was a proud moment for this old war veteran,
a member of my VFW Post, who had fought for his country at a time when the
armed forces were still segregated.

I had the opportunity to speak at length and informally with the General when
I escorted him back to the airport the next day. We talked about many things,
but two topics still linger in my mind. He told me General Colin Powell "was
a man of greater vision than anyone I have ever met." He wasn’t speaking
about eyesight.

General Kelly also mentioned he was making more money as a professional
speaker than he ever did in the Army and how he and his wife were finally
enjoying a more comfortable life. "For the first time since we’ve been
married, my wife has new curtains, rugs and furniture that all match", he
said.

I liked General Kelly and know I would have enjoyed his company regardless of
what career field he had chosen. It was clear to me he loved his wife and
children, loved the Army and loved his country.

Rest in Peace General.

(contributed by Pete Walter)