The Early Bird Scores Big

By Janice Castro

Ever since he retired after the gulf war, this popular general has sparked standing ovations across the U.S. with rousing speeches about can-do American fighting spirit -- 90 chats so far at $20,000 a pop. No, not Stormin' Norman. The military hero of the rubber-chicken circuit is TOM KELLY, the avuncular Army commander who conducted daily Pentagon briefings during the war. Kelly, who has signed for 60 more speeches, stands to earn some $3 million this year, far more than he made during his 34-year military career and millions of dollars more than Schwarzkopf has made on the podium. Marvin Josephson, Schwarzkopf's agent, says the former Desert Storm commander is too busy writing his book to hit the circuit.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart