Elvis Joins the Army
Private Presley reporting for duty
Wolfgang Wild
1958
From the age of 23 to 25 - March 1958 to March 1960 - Elvis Presley was a soldier in in the United States Army. His monthly pay was $78 - plus $1,000 from his record company.Extraordinarily, different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces had vied with each other to secure Elvis as a serving member. The Navy offered to form an "Elvis Presley" company, created exclusively from Elvis' friends and men from Memphis. As an added incentive, he would be given his own private quarters and would perform in Las Vegas.
People were expecting me to goof up. I was determined to prove otherwise. - Elvis Presley
The Army offered a post that would allow Elvis to tour U.S. Army bases around the world, in an effort to improve troop morale and bolster recruitment numbers. The Pentagon also offered him the chance to join Special Services, which would mean he would not have to undergo regular soldier training but would still be able to entertain the troops.Elvis declined all these offers and enlisted as a regular soldier. He was initially scheduled for induction in January 1958, but received an extension to finish filming of the movie "King Creole." He reported for duty on March 24, 1958. News reporters called it "Black Monday."
Despite the media descriptions, Elvis's recording career hardly missed a beat. During a two-week leave, he recorded five songs. And his record company, RCA, produced a steady stream of unreleased recordings during that time. Altogether, Elvis strung together 10 Top-40 hits during his months in the service.
This was a very significant period in Elvis' life. While away in Germany, his mother died, and he met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, later to become his wife, Priscilla Presley. It was also the first and only time he left North America.
