Elvis is Inducted into the Army 

Elvis is Inducted into the Army 

On March 24, 1958, Elvis Presley was inducted into the US Army.

Shortly after his 18th birthday on January 19, 1953, Elvis did as all American men must do.  He registered with the U.S. Selective Service System.  As the draft system of the day required, healthy young men were expected to serve two years of active military duty and four years in the reserves.

Over the next four years Elvis became one of the nation’s biggest entertainers, releasing numerous hit songs and starring in popular films. Then on January 4, 1957 he went to the Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis for his army pre-induction physical. On his 22nd birthday the Memphis Draft Board announced at a press conference that Elvis would likely be drafted some time that year.

As the news of Elvis’ draft became public, he received offers from the Navy and Air Force. The Navy wanted to create an Elvis Presley Company and the Air Force wanted him to tour recruitment centers. But Elvis didn’t want any special treatment and turned down their offers. He wanted to serve his country like every other young man.

Then on December 20, 1957, just days before Christmas, Elvis received his draft notice from the Army, requiring him to report for duty on January 20, 1958. Elvis’ draft could not have come at a worse time in his career. His recording career was at its highest point, and he was set to begin filming his fourth movie, King Creole, on the same day he was supposed to report for the Army. Immediately, letters began to pour into the draft board from Elvis’ management, angry fans, and even Paramount Pictures, which had already invested $350,000 in King Creole. Even the President of the United States received letters that claimed Elvis’ draft was an attempt by the government to sabotage his career. The rush of criticism must have worked, because Elvis was given a 60-day deferment in order to film the movie.

On March 24, Elvis arrived at the Memphis Draft Board to begin his military career. He was then assigned to 10 weeks of training at Fort Hood, Texas. The next day Elvis went to Arkansas’ Fort Chaffee where he would receive his physical and perhaps one of the most famous and documented haircuts in history. Elvis paid the 65¢ fee from his own money. Colonel Parker had invited the media to the event and the barbershop was filled with reporters and photographers, making it nearly impossible to move around. It was during the haircut that the world first heard the phrase “hair today and gone tomorrow,” when a photographer asked Elvis to blow some of the hair out of his hand for a playful photo.

Ten weeks later, Elvis boarded a train for New York, where Colonel Parker had scheduled a press conference. At the September 22 press conference, Elvis answered questions about his music, army duty, and his mother, who had recently passed away. With the press conference over, Elvis slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and crossed the gangplank of the USS Randall eight times. This was a courtesy so all the photographers could get a good shot.

Aboard the ship, Elvis became fast friends with fellow musician Charlie Hodge. The pair bunked together and were in charge of the ship’s talent show, with Elvis playing piano and Hodge serving as MC. Elvis arrived in Germany on October 1.

During his 18 months of service, Elvis worked as a scout and jeep driver. On January 20, 1960, he was promoted to Sergeant. He was given command of the reconnaissance, or scouting, unit of the 3rd Armored Division. His unit was sent on maneuvers a short time later, so he didn’t receive his stripes until February 11. The colonel who promoted Elvis to sergeant was interviewed many years later and recalled Elvis as a “a top-notch soldier, a credit to his parents, to his outfit, to his country.”

After nearly two years in the service, Elvis left Germany on March 1, 1960. Elvis’ discharge prompted a whirlwind of media events and studio sessions, many of which had been in the making for months. A press conference was held immediately upon his arrival in New Jersey. Officially discharged, Elvis boarded a train for Memphis with his final paycheck in the amount of $9.81. The press and crowds were everywhere. Fans lined the railroad tracks in a blinding snowstorm to watch him pass by. Thousands of fans went wild when Elvis stepped off the train in Memphis in full dress uniform. Yet another press conference was held at Graceland before he was allowed to return home to civilian life.

Elvis was pleased to find his two-year absence hadn’t hurt his career at all. In fact, his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had released several of Elvis’ recordings while he was in Germany. Elvis was more popular than he had been two years earlier. Within a month, he began shooting his fifth movie, G.I. Blues.

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