cover image Elvis in the Army

Elvis in the Army

William J. Taylor. Presidio Press, $19.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-89141-558-9

The superstar of rock music was already a celebrity when he was drafted into the army in 1958. Presley could have spent his military service entertaining troops; instead, he volunteered to serve in a combat unit. Assigned to a tank outfit in Germany, he trained hard, partied hard and won the respect of his comrades in arms. The author, Presley's platoon leader, depicts this with poignant word-snapshots from what were perhaps the happiest days in the life of this American icon: Elvis gleefully capturing an ``enemy'' officer during a field exercise; the King risking an Article 15 (nonjudicial punishment by the company commander) to help a buddy out of a jam; and one wonderful moment when Elvis, prevailed on to sing at a party, dedicated a spirited rendition of ``Hound Dog'' to the author. Taylor says Elvis is remembered by all who served with him as a fine young man who did his job to the best of his ability and tried to stay out of the limelight. A retired colonel, Taylor is senior vice-president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Photos. (Aug.)