Elvis
and the United States Army
 Had
Elvis not been an entertainer, Elvis would have made a career
in the United States military.
Here Elvis receives a certificate of achievement
from the United States Army.
 Elvis,
An Honorable Soldier | The
story of G.I. Presley is well-known among the Elvis community.
Here are a few reasons why Elvis stood out as an model soldier,
setting a fine example of what soldiering is all about.
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"Victory
or Death" was the motto of the 3rd Army, 32nd Armor,
Spearhead Division, disbanded in 1992. Elvis undertook basic
training at Fort Hood, Texas, named for his 5th cousin,
General John Bell Hood.
Our condolences go to the soldiers
and personnel at Fort Hood, and to those killed there in
the terrorist-related massacre, 2009.
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Elvis
was given no special treatment and requested to be allowed
to be "one of the boys." However, the press was
there at every turn, photographing Elvis in uniform, during
maneuvers, during R & R--he could not even avoid the
media while serving in the armed forces.
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Elvis was bothered by the
fact that because of the constant press coverage his comrades
would have to train harder since their training would be
filmed. Elvis, himself, had to work harder. Though not serving
in wartime, the mission of Elvis' unit was to guard the
German border against Russian invasion. The Berlin Wall
had not yet gone up.
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Elvis feared that his
career would end during his military tenure. Still,
he would not give up being a soldier and commented freely
that he had learned alot from his military service and
that he had made good friends, including Charlie Hodge
and Joe Esposito who later became part of Elvis' Memphis
Mafia.
God Bless
America!
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Question:
while stationed
in Bad Nauheim, Germany, Elvis and comrades from southern
US did something they had never done back home. What did
they do?
Give up? Here's the answer>>
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Elvis was an expert marksman
in the combat arm of this armored division. He
was a model soldier, an inspiration to many comrades because
he was one amongst them, peeling potatoes on KP, marching
for miles with an 80 lb pack strapped to his back, and pulling
guard duty. For a time he became a jeep driver for his sargeant.
There was no special treatment for Private Presley who exited
the service as Sargeant Presley.
 Elvis
enjoyed his time in the military and other than losing
his mother during basic training, his service went as
good as could be expected. When he returned home, the
fans were still waiting, and Elvis' star rose higher than
ever before.
click image to enlarge
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