Elvis Presley was probably the most famous soldier of the peacetime army between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He entered the United States Amy at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 24, 1958. During his active military career he served as a member of two different armor battalions. Between March 28 and September 17, 1958, he belonged to Company A, 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. During this assignment he completed basic and advanced military training. A Company D recruit who trained at the same time said, "I got to see Elvis a lot, he was an OK guy and would often play the old uptight piano for us in the Day Room."

His overseas service took place in Germany from October 1, 1958, until March 2, 1960, as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor, which was part of the 3rd Armor Division. For the first five days of that period he belonged to Company D of the battalion, and thereafter to the battalion's Headquarters Company at Friedberg. He left active duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 5, 1960, and received his discharge from tile Army Reserve on March 23, 1964.

Elvis made 33 films, tile first was "Love Me Tender" (1956); none were critical successes, but they did very well at the box-office, earning upwards of $150 million. Elvis' only mililaryrelated movie was GI Blues, a 1960 fictionalization of his Army life in Germany. Elvis made a comeback in the 1970s, but increasing weight and dependence upon stimulants and depressants took their toll. He died of a heart attack in 1977: the autopsy discovered traces often different drugs in his bloodstream. When he died he had sold over 600 million singles and albums.

The image reroduced above is, fittingly, that of a Collectible doll from Mattel released in 1999 and clothed to represent him in his Army years.

This concludes the series of military movie star biographies. We hope you enjoyed it.