On 25 March Elvis reported for
induction at Memphis Draft Board. He was accompanied by his
parents and friend Lamar Fike. After being sworn in Elvis became
Private Presley 53310761. With his fellow draftees he boarded an
army bus for
Fort
Hood, Texas for basic training. The
separation would break his mother’s heart.
After ten weeks Elvis was granted a
weekend pass. Immediately RCA took the opportunity to have Elvis
taken to Nashville for a recording session that resulted in
several major hits. But Elvis’ main concern was his mother. It was
obvious that Gladys Presley was unwell, and admitted to Methodist
hospital. Four days later, hepatitis was diagnosed. Elvis
reluctantly returned to Army camp. By August her condition had
deteriorated so badly that Elvis was given compassionate leave to
begin a 24 hours hour vigil with his father.
On the night of
August 14, Vernon sent Elvis home for same much needed rest. At
3am the phone rang and Elvis was told that his precious mother had
died of a heart attack brought on by the hepatitis. In shock and
disbelief Elvis rushed to the hospital.
After Elvis entered his mother ward
and the door closed, witnesses remember a piercing wild despair of
wails from Elvis were heard as he wept and prayed long and loud
over his mother’s lifeless body. Elvis didn’t want an autopsy,
instead had her lie in state at Graceland. For two days Elvis just
sat next to the coffin and just stared at his mother. Finally on
the second night Vernon insisted that Gladys be buried. Elvis
walked out to the front steps of Graceland and wept.
On 16 August 1958 Gladys was buried at the Forest Hill Cemetery.
The service at the Memphis Funeral Home was officiated by Reverend
James Hamill and the Blackwood Brothers (Gladys, favorite Gospel
group) sang. When it came time to lower the casket into the ground
Elvis jumped up and hung on to the coffin, sobbing “Everything I
have is gone!” It took Vernon, Lamar Fike (Memphis Mafia member
and cousin, Billy Smith to pull Elvis off the casket, while all
the while Elvis screamed hysterically, “Please don’t take my baby
away! She’s not dead. She’s just sleeping!”
Many family members re-iterated the same sentiments, that after his
mother died, Elvis changed completely…He never had time alone to
grieve. As Fike recalls, “ He carried his mother’s nightgown
around for weeks. Wouldn’t put it down for anything. Slept with it
and cried all the time. He didn’t seem like Elvis ever again…”
Four week after Gladys died, Elvis was sailed to Germany.
Elvis
was transferred to the Third Armored Division for posting to West
Germany as part of the US contribution to the NATO forces stated
there. September 26 he traveled by train to New York to join the
troopship USS General Randall, where RCA ensured that Elvis give
the obligatory interviews and photo calls. Dockside whilst bidding
his family farewell Elvis decided on the spur of the moment to
invite his father, his paternal grandmother Minnie Presley (then
in her mid 60’s) Red West and Lamar Fike to live there for the
duration of his posting. Elvis settled in well. He became a
marksman and was promoted. His fame very waved, with an average of
10 thousand letter a week. Many letters were simply addressed
"’Elvis Germany"
Colonel Parker would not have his boy singled out for special
duties like most entertainers. He kept Elvis from entertaining the
troops because Parker would have Elvis perform for free. When Bob
Hope asked Elvis to join him on a Christmas tour Parker dismissed
the idea with, “Why should he work for the army for nothing when
he gets five thousand dollars a night.”
Two events during his army stint would change Elvis’ life forever.
His father Vernon like Elvis would both meet their future wives.
Dee Stanley a divorcee with three sons & Joseph Beaulieu's 14-year
daughter Priscilla Ann Beaulieu was only 14 years old, in 1959,
when she met Elvis in Germany while he was in the army. The couple
fell in love. In 1961 he invited her to Memphis, where she went to
school. As a graduation gift he gave her a Corvair sports car.
Elvis proposed to Cilla, on Christmas eve, 1966 and on May 1, 1967
Elvis and Priscilla married
at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.
In the summer of 1959 on R&R Elvis decided to visit Paris. He
wanted to see the sights and meet the sexy French actress,
Brigitte Bardot. She on the other hand would not even contemplate
a rendezvous. So Elvis and his Memphis Mafia gang hit the
nightlife. Lido became their favorite haunt. Every night Elvis
would let loose at the club. It got so bad that the club would
have to call the hotel Prince de Galles to get the girls back over
for the show. Partying nights and sleeping all days was to became
a life time habit. After 2 week of heavy partying, and still
fearful of flying Elvis hired a limousine at the cost of $800 to
drive him back to his army barracks in Germany. Elvis liked Paris
and returned twice more. He enjoyed being swamped by crowds of
fans asking for an autograph because it made him feel he was still
on top.
March 5 Elvis Presley was discharged and returned with his
family to Graceland. After 2 years, he was free to resume
his career. Colonel Parker had booked Elvis as a guest on
the Frank Sinatra Timex Special television show. Greeted
by Nancy Sinatra,
Elvis sang a duet with Sinatra
Having served his country, the older generation had a
change of heart. Now, even middle–class America could not
object to Elvis who had matured into a respectable
all-American boy. This transformation was music to Colonel
Parker as he set about recreating Elvis’ clean image. In
hindsight, after his army stint Elvis lost his raw edge.
As John Lennon reflected on the news of Elvis death.
“Elvis died in the army.” Elvis first post-Army recording
session was highly successful although it demonstrated a
softer approach, not the raunchy, revolutionary rock of
the fifties. The hit song “It’s Now or Never” was meant to
appeal to a larger audience. Once again Hollywood recalled
Elvis to make more movies. In GI Blues his first post army
film Elvis played with children & puppets. It was an omen
of things to come
GI Presley Army Pictures
Presley
Family Military Records - Washington, U.S. military
records spanning more than four centuries, from the 1600's
to the Vietnam War, are now available online, according to
the website Ancestry.com The collection includes
World War I and World War II draft registration cards;
prisoner of war records from the War of 1812, the Civil
War, World War II, and Korea; unit rosters for the Marine
Corps and Navy; burial registers; service records from the
Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War; and
casualty listings from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam
