![]() In the 17 years I spent with Elvis, he often talked about his Army days. Here's what he had to say about those days. Elvis served his country with pride, he wanted to show the world, he was just a normal guy. He could have asked for special treatment, but he didn't, that wasn't the type of person he was. During his stint in the Army, Elvis was treated like everyone else. When, he arrived in Germany, he rented a house and brought his family over. Which any soldier could do, if they had the money. Most of the stories Elvis told me, were of the patrols he had to do. It was his duty to sit on a hill, in his jeep, and watch a Russian soldier in his vehicle. Elvis said, every time he had to report for duty, he would wave to the Russian soldier. The Russian soldier never waved back. One time, Elvis was sitting in his jeep, it was very cold. He tried to walk around, but that didn't warm him up. Then he had an idea, he took his poncho out, he place it over himself and the jeep, then started the jeep. It didn't take long, before he warmed up. He was enjoying the warmth. The next thing he remembers, he was being shaken. A soldier was standing over him, saying. Pvt. Presley wake up! Wake up soldier! Elvis came to, he got up off the ground. The soldier asked him, what happened Pvt. Presley? Elvis told him what he had done. The soldier said, it's a good thing I came to check on you Private. You passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning. It's a miracle you're still alive, Pvt. Presley. When I got much older sometimes our conversations would be about why he was drafted. I asked, why did they draft you, Elvis? The Army was pretty much voluntary back then. He said, I guess the government thought I was a threat to the youth of our nation. They thought if they put me away for a few years, everyone would forget about me. I laughed when he told me this. He looked at me strangely, then asked. What's so funny about this, Billy. I said, their plan didn't work, did it. Then he smiled back, and said. I guess not. It did concern him though. When he came back home, after his stint in the Army, he wasn't sure what his career was going to be like, or if he even had one. That's why the movie contracts were signed, it guaranteed him, a milliom dollars a movie, 3 movies a year, for the next 7 years. In closing, Elvis was happy to serve his country. He was a good soldier, all of the guys in his unit and his commanding officers liked him. They even joked with him and said, if you can't make out there, you have a career waiting for you, here in the Army, Elvis.
8 Comments
Juanita " Nita" Wolfe
11/11/2019 09:34:10 am
Elvis was a very special man. He loved God,Family, and Country more than anything. He passed that on to his 3 little brothers. I thank God that he sent us Elvis Presley to help teach us of his love. He could have asked for special favors and he would have gotten them. But he wanted to be a normal, average guy. I salute Elvis on this Veterans Day. Thank you Billy Stanley for sharing your memories and life with your famous big brother. You are very special in your own right. He taught you well and you took those lessons and learned from them and now you are teaching us( The Fans) the lessons Elvis taught you! Thanks so much!
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Tony
11/11/2019 09:34:43 am
Elvis is what every American should aspire to be. Patriotic, humble, caring, accepting of others, God fearing, and generous.
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Donna Goode Herring
11/11/2019 10:05:56 am
Oh my I’ve never heard about that in army
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Jay Viviano
11/11/2019 10:54:40 am
Great tribute Billy.
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Sandy Berry
11/11/2019 11:16:16 am
Thank you, Billy, for sharing your memories and comments Elvis made to you. They are very special, particularly today on Veterans Day 🇺🇸
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Brenda
11/11/2019 11:28:28 am
Thanks for sharing another bit of Elvis with us.
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Melanie (Melvis)
11/11/2019 12:08:06 pm
God was certainly watching him over him this day.
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Claudia
11/12/2019 11:04:33 am
What a wonderful lesson of humbleness "he always waves at the other soldier" 💖 how great can a man be?
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ELVIS PRESLEY'S BROTHER & FILMMAKER - STANLEY & MCAFEE JOIN FORCESBilly Stanley and Dr. Kevin McAfee have joined forces to create and develop the motion picture ELVIS MY BROTHER. They are reaching out to financial and entertainment professionals through this website to join them in creating one of the most amazing films ever about the story of growing up with ELVIS PRESLEY. This is a PG rated film good for the whole family where they will share true stories of an amazing fun filled childhood, the rise of one of the greatest music icons in history selling over one billion records and how Elvis adopted three boys and gave them a beginning in life that changed them all forever. The loyalty shared by Elvis Presley and all three Stanley brothers was amazing. Their love for Lisa Marie Presley and her mother created the First Family of Rock and Roll. If you would like to learn more about how you can be involved in making this epic family film, contact us today.
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