See handwritten fan mail demanding Elvis Presley’s return from war
In 1958, the most-recognisable man on the planet, Elvis Presley, proved he wasn’t above his station and bravely served alongside his fellow countrymen. Unsurprisingly, his hordes of fans were worried about his safety and attempted to plead with the White House to release him.
Due to his high-profile status, it was potentially possible for Elvis to get out of serving his country. However, a selfish business decision by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, led to Presley having to serve the full two years. Admirably, Presley didn’t request special treatment and asked for the same reception as everybody else. In the outside world, he was ‘The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, but here, he was just another soldier in the camp.
Presley was worried that his career would be over following his two-year military service. Rock ‘n’ roll was still in its infancy, and understandably, Elvis didn’t know whether another genre would replace it by the time his tenure in the army had ended.
His final work before joining the army was the Hollywood production King Creole, and shortly after filming was wrapped, Presley was in an army camp. In September 1958, he set sail for Germany and cemented his position as an American national hero.
Demand was sky-high for him to release music, despite the logistical difficulties facing Elvis to get in the studio. RCA sent him a microphone, but none of the recordings returned to the label, and decades later, they were packaged as Private Presley and Home Recordings.
For a period, hordes of fans were concerned about his safety because they hadn’t heard about his activities. Before being drafted, Presley was everywhere, and suddenly, he’d fallen from the face of the earth. Although RCA released a series of old recordings during his service time, which all charted, fans craved his return.
Presley’s two years spent in the army would shape the rest of his life. Before he’d even left for Germany, his mother tragically died, which understandably had a profound impact on the singer. Furthermore, during this time, he also developed an addiction to stimulants, which played a role in his death, and met his future wife, Priscilla.
The White House was inundated with handwritten letters from fearful fans worried their hero wouldn’t return. In reality, Elvis was living off-post in a luxurious house, which fans swarmed on a daily basis, and his life was in no danger.
Below is a letter sent by a couple from Sacramento to President Eisenhower’s wife, Mamie.
Sacramento, Calif.
4-10-58
Dear Mamie –
Will you please please be so sweet and kind as to ask Ike to please bring Elvis Presley back to us from the Army. We need him in our entertainment world to make us all laugh. The theatres need him to help fill their many empty seats these days of T.V. (?) Elvis is the leading box office attraction. Also did you know Elvis has been paying $500,000 in income taxes. We feel the huge taxes he has been paying could help our defense effort far more than his stay in the Army. Please ask Ike to bring Elvis back to us soon. We wish Ike would pass a law real soon to exempt all entertainers who pay large sums of income taxes.
Thanking you for being the sweet gracious lady you are and asking God to bless you and Ike in every way every day we are gratefully yours
Mr – Mrs. Lawrence Erickson
5741-62nd St
