86 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM
FEATURE FEATURE: COVER STORY
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gt Presley? Sgt Elvis Presley? The King of Rock 'n' Roll had already recorded Blue Suede Shoes, Heartbreak Hotel and Love Me Tender - as well as starred on the big screen in Jailhouse Rock - when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1957. Two years of active duty and four years in the Reserves. Just like that, he was off to Fort Hood, Texas, for basic training. Second Armored Division, famously known as the Hell on Wheels group. He was proud of his service, which included 18 months in Friedberg, Germany. The Army teaches boys to think like men, he said. The origin story of Presleys military service is unconventional. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935, to parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley. He was supposed to be a twin, but his brother, Jesse Garon (sometimes spelled Jessie) was stillborn. Presley was deeply devoted to his parents, especially his mother, Gladys, and was raised to have a strong faith in God. His family lived in one of the most destitute parts of Mississippi and attended the Assembly of God Church, where gospel music became an important influence on Presley. Presley received his first guitar as a gift from his mother on his 11th birthday in 1946 and had his first taste of musical success a few years later when he won a talent show at Humes High School after the family moved to Memphis in 1948. After graduating in 1953, he worked a number of jobs while pursuing his musical dream.
Elvis Presley
The Most Famous Veteran
By Brady Rhoades
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