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The Fayetteville Observer, N.C., Henry Cuningham column
Jan 06, 2013 (The Fayetteville Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
An Army veteran named Elvis Presley would have celebrated his 77th birthday on Tuesday.
Presley was drafted during the uneasy peace of the Cold War. He turned down cushy offers for special duty and served as probably the Army's most highly publicized average soldier, rising to the rank of buck sergeant.
He was born in Tupelo, Miss., on Jan. 8, 1935, and died at age 42 in Memphis, Tenn., on Aug. 16, 1977.
Thirty-five years after his death, the singer and actor seems to hold more fascination dead than most of us do alive.
More than five decades since his military service, the Center for Military History has a Web page on Elvis' military career. I've adapted the information from that website into a question-and-answer format.
Q: When and where did Elvis enter the Army
A: Elvis Aaron Presley entered the Army at Memphis, Tenn., on March 24, 1958, and spent three days at the Fort Chaffee, Ark., reception station.
Q: What was his unit
A: While in Germany, he wore the shoulder-sleeve insignia of the 3rd Armored Division.
Q: Where did he serve
A: During his military career, Presley served as a member of two armor battalions. Between March 28 and Sept. 17, 1958, he belonged to Company A, 2nd Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. During this assignment, he completed basic and advanced military training.
Presley's overseas service took place in Germany from Oct. 1, 1958, to March 2, 1960, as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor. For the first five days of that period, he belonged to Company D of the battalion. Thereafter, he was assigned to the battalion's Headquarters Company at Friedberg.
Q: When and where did he leave the Army
A: He left active duty at Fort Dix, N.J., on March 5, 1960, and received his discharge from the Army Reserve on March 23, 1964.
Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh@fayobserver.com or 486-3585.
___ (c)2013 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) Visit The
Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at www.fayobserver.com Distributed by
MCT Information Services
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