This Day in History:
Elvis Presley Is Drafted.
December 20, 1957.
Elvis received his draft notice at
his mansion, Graceland, in Memphis, TN.
Despite an outcry from his fans,
he was sworn in as an army
private on March 24, 1958.
The King of Rock and Roll
took one emergency leave to
visit his mother before her death.
He then was shipped to Europe
on the USS General Randall to join
Company D, 32nd Tank Battalion,
3rd Armor Division for the next 18 months.
While serving in Friedberg, Germany,
Elvis met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu at
a party hosted at his off-base residence.
The two would marry when Priscilla was 21.
Elvis was considered a role model
for not attempting to avoid the draft.
He was discharged on March 2, 1960