On this day in 1957, while spending Christmas vacation at Graceland, his new Tennessee mansion, singer Elvis Presley received his draft for the United States Army. Elvis was surprised to learn that he was scheduled to complete two-year full military service with soldiers overseas.
Elvis had in fact been informed since December 16 that his military enlistment letter would arrive soon.
The news then spread quickly and angered Elvis fans. Most of them are not ready to let their favorite singer “disappear” from the stage of the show, even if it is only for two years.
Elvis, who later said he was ready for the task, had to heed the producer’s suggestion to complete production on “King Creole” first.
The year 1957 was the golden age of an Elvis Presley. He already has hit singles such as “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock”, as well as three hit movies and concert dates that took him from Canada to Hawaii.
Conscription was a dilemma for the management of Elvis.
Despite his status as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis is happy to put the crown aside and he will obediently line up to take on his role in the military. In a media interview, Elvis said, “This is a task I have to do and I will do it.”
However, while Elvis was eager to start his time in the military, he also had to think about his professional obligations first.
Finally, on December 24, 1957, with contributions from many parties, Elvis also requested a postponement of his military service. His reasoning, which he put forward, was quite categorical that he did not want the filmmakers to “lose so much money with everything they have done so far”, as stated on the Graceland official site.
In addition to finishing King Creole, which he called the favorite of the 31 films he made, he also recorded several songs.
After fulfilling his obligations, in March 1857 Elvis returned to his hometown and spent time with family and friends before he began his military service.
Those days he looked nervous even though he was doing a lot of activities with his family and friends, so much so that he couldn’t sleep.
On March 24, 1958, Presley began his new day; as soldiers. He was wearing a blue shirt, black pants, a gray jacket and black boots and reported to the hiring board office with his escorted family.
Elvis was sworn in the same day and had to undergo a six-month basic training course before joining D Company, 32nd Tank Battalion.
What’s interesting is when Elvis has to cut his hair according to army rules. The crown that characterizes the king of rock and roll must be destroyed. Journalists and photographers didn’t want to miss the moment the superstar’s hair fell to the floor.
“The (model’s) hair today will be gone tomorrow,” Elvis said with a laugh.
Elvis then sailed to Europe and spent eighteen months in Friedberg, Germany as an American soldier. Although he once said that life in the military was very difficult, he was actually promoted to the rank of sergeant and became popular among his comrades.
During Elvis’ tenure, his musical director continued to release Elvis singles. This kept the money afloat and Presley’s name fresh on the public’s minds.
While serving in Germany, he met a woman named Priscilla whom he finally married in 1967. Upon his return to America, he immediately became a national hero. The government and military leaders used it as a symbol of courage for young men who were to complete their military service.
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