The King of Rock and the 3rd Armored Division
At the time the U.S. was not involved in any conflicts or wars. With the news of Elvis’ forthcoming induction, the Navy and the Air Force offered bids for his services – the Navy offering to create a specially trained ‘Elvis Presley company’ and the Air Force thinking it would be good for him to tour their recruiting centers. Elvis turned down their offers, not wanting any special treatment. He was going to serve like a regular G.I.
At Fort Hood he received advanced tank training ten weeks of . When he returned to Texas, Elvis was assigned to the Third Armored ‘Spearhead’ Division, whose motto was ‘Victory or Death’.
Elvis Aron Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 24, 1958, and then spent three days at the Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Reception Station. He left active duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 5, 1960, and received his discharge from the Army Reserve on March 23, 1964.
During his active military career Mr. Presley 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.
Mr. Presley’s 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. 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.
While in Germany Mr. Presley wore the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 3d Armored Division.
Some highlights:
Courtesy photo and visit VA at the link
- Could drive, load, and shoot an M-48 Patton battle tank, but with 3rd Armored he served as jeep driver and recon. scout.
- Promoted to Sergeant E-5 at age 25 on 1/20/60 at Tank Range 42 at Grafenwoehr, Germany.
- Was supervised at press and other events during his 17 months with the 3rd Armored by Capt. John Mawn of Division PIO. In August, 2002, Mawn (of Fort Smith, Arkansas) was quoted as saying, “My job was to make sure that Presley didn’t screw up at press and public appearances. And, you know what, he never did.”
The DRAFT by David Vergun DOD
In 1940, Americans closely followed the news of Germany’s armed forces overrunning most of Europe, while Japan was using its military aggressively in East Asia. Public opinion in the United States was changing sharply from isolationism to the possibility of military action against the Axis powers of Italy, Japan and Germany.
On Sept. 16, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which was another name for the draft. It required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft.
While there were wartime drafts during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World War I, this draft was different. It was the nation’s first peacetime draft.
Following Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, Congress amended the act to require all able-bodied men ages 18 to 64 to register with their local draft board for military service for the duration of World War II plus six months after. In practice, however, only men 18 to 45 were drafted.
During the course of the war, more than 10 million men were inducted into the Army, Navy and Marines through the draft. However, most men who served, as well as a lot of women, volunteered for the military.
Many men who were too old or disabled often served on the home front, doing vital work on farms and in factories. Women also filled in at factories for men who were sent overseas to fight.
The draft remained in place until 1973. That period included the time when millions of men were drafted during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Among the notables drafted after World War II were singer/actor Elvis Presley and baseball star Willie Mays.
On July 1, 1973, the draft officially ended and the all-volunteer force was established and continues to today. Now, only men and women who volunteered are serving in the nation’s armed forces. There’s been a consensus among Defense Department leaders that the all-volunteer force is working and is attracting America’s talented, physically fit and motivated youth.Spotlight: Commemorating World War II
