Elvis Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army 60 years ago. His service did not last long, but The Washington Post writes that it did have a profound impact on him — the King was never the same after it. He served dutifully, but, being a rock star, he did take his fellow soldiers on rollicking, drunken adventures. However, during the same period, Presley lost his mother and began the journey of drug addiction that ultimately ended his life. When he was first drafted in 1957, everyone wondered if the most famous person in the United States could be useful, or if he would just be in the way. Various branches of the military instead offered him “cushy” jobs. But Presley decided to serve. His famous, iconic hair was shaved off. But as Time reported that year, after the haircut “left him still looking much too dreamy for the Army.” He was deployed to an armored division near Frankfurt, Germany, as a truck driver for an officer. But women followed Elvis wherever he went, and were even trying to climb the base’s fence to lay eyes on him. So he was transferred to the guy who could keep the media away. In August 1958, Presley’s mom died of a heart attack. He called her death “the great tragedy of his life.” He returned to the Army, served dutifully and was eventually promoted to sergeant — though he was also partying across Europe. One time, in Munich, he got into a fight and knocked the guy out. A fellow sergeant introduced Elvis to amphetamines around this time, and he began taking them almost daily. While he was gone, a new breed of rock band started to eclipse Elvin. He slid further into addiction and after he left the army, he became increasingly wary of the public. The Post writes that it is impossible to know what Elvis’s life would have been like if he hadn’t served for those two years — but it’s difficult not to wonder.
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