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Posted on 10/01/2004 11:29:16 PM PDT by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 A light hearted Saturday Subject from the Foxhole Elvis and the U.S. Army By EPE (Source: EPE March 23, 2003) On January 19, 1953, like all young American men of the time were required to do at age 18, Elvis Presley registered for the U.S. Selective Service System. Under the draft system, young men of good health were expected to be available to serve in the military for two years of active duty and then four years in the reserves. (This system continued until after the Vietnam War when the U.S. went to a voluntary military system.) Elvis received his Selective Service No. 40-86-35-16. He then went on to finish his senior year at L.C. Humes High School and, soon after graduation, he began what would soon become his illustrious career as an entertainer. By 1956, he was as superstar of recordings, films and concerts.  On January 4, 1957 Elvis reported to Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis for an army pre-induction physical. On January 8, 1957, his twenty second birthday, the Memphis Draft Board held a press conference and announced Elvis would be classified 1A and would probably be drafted sometime that year. At the time the U.S. was not involved in any conflicts or wars. With the news of Elvis's 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.  On December 20, 1957 Elvis received his draft notice. In a letter dated December 24th he formally asked for a deferment to finish filming the movie he had already in the works. On December 26, 1957, the Memphis Draft Board granted Elvis a deferment until March 20, 1958 so he could film "King Creole".  On Monday, March 24, 1958 at 6:35 AM, Elvis, accompanied by his parents and a group of family and friends, reported to the Memphis Draft Board. From there, he and twelve other recruits were bused to Kennedy Veterans Memorial Hospital. There, Elvis was assigned army serial number 53 310 761. After being processed and sworn in, Elvis said his good-byes and Private Presley was bused with the others from Memphis to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for further processing. There, he received his famous G.I. haircut and coined the phrase "Hair today, gone tomorrow," in a comment to the news media.  He was assigned to the Second Armored Division's "Hell On Wheels" unit (formerly led by General George Patton) and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Within days, Elvis's manager received 5,000 pieces of mail sent to Elvis at Fort Chaffee and mail continued to pour in for the famous soldier.  On furlough after his basic training, Elvis came home to Memphis and enjoyed some time with family and friends. He managed to squeeze in a quick Nashville recording session, his last session until the spring of 1960 after his discharge from active duty. On June 14, 1958 he returned to Fort Hood for ten weeks of advanced tank training. His mother and father moved temporarily to Killeen, Texas near the base. Elvis applied for and received permission to live off base with them - off-base living being an option any G.I. had the option of applying for. It was during the next month that Elvis's mother Gladys became seriously ill and had to return to Memphis for treatment. Later, Elvis went home to Memphis on emergency leave to visit his gravely ill mother. She died on August 14, 1958 at the age of 46.  When he returned to Texas, Elvis was assigned to the Third Armored "Spearhead" Division, whose motto was "Victory or Death". His unit was stationed in Friedberg, Germany. His troop train left Fort Hood for the Brooklyn Army Terminal where, on September 22, 1958, Elvis boarded the U.S.S. Randall and sailed for Germany. Upon arrival he was assigned to the Ray Kaserne barracks. He served in Company C, a scout platoon. After a news conference he was declared "off limits" to the press (at least for a while).  In Germany, Elvis served as any other soldier. However, as in Texas, he chose to take the option of living off base. His wealth afforded him the ability to lease housing and to bring his father and grandmother to Germany to stay with him. Friends from back home also spent time there.  Elvis went on maneuvers and performed all the regular duties as required. (Some say he did more than what was required to ensure that no one get the idea that he was getting any special treatment or had a "star" ego.) One maneuver took his unit to Grafenwohr, near the Czech Republic border, for field training and weapons proficiency tests. While serving in Germany, he earned medals for marksmanship and in February 1960 he received his sergeant's stripes.  Elvis completed his 18-month stint in Germany and arrived back in the U.S. in March of 1960. At Fort Dix, New Jersey he was honorably discharged from active duty on March 5, 1960. He received his mustering-out check of $109.54 and Elvis Presley, Sergeant E-5 returned to home the life and career he had left behind. His fans' wait for new music, new movies and new performance appearances was finally over.  Just prior to his return, in an interview in Germany for Armed Forces Radio and Television, Elvis was asked about being in the field rather than entertaining in a service club. His response was, "... I was in a funny position. Actually, that's the only way it could be. People were expecting me to mess up (laughs), to goof up in one way or another. They thought I couldn't take it and so forth, and I was determined to go to any limits to prove otherwise, not only to the people who were wondering, but to myself."       |
They've evacuated about 3000 people in the area and upgraded the alert level.
Elvis-O-Gram :-)
I know, the quakes are becomig more numerous, and are still at magnitude 3.
Good luck out your way.
Coincidence? I think not.
The King never sought a Global Test--he didn't check with DeGaulle or Dag Hammersjold--he just did what needed to be done.
Not so with today's Senator from North Vietnam, Jacques & Kofi's Lawn Jockey, the Nuanced Quisling With Delusions of Adequacy:
Our biggest worry would be ash.
LOL. You have such a way with words Phil. :-)
LOL!
"Broken Top" volcano does look like Helens.
Beautiful rainbow there alfa6. Thanks.
I guess I'll put off washing my car for now just in case we get some of the ash.
Jacques & Kofi's Lawn Jockey, the Nuanced Quisling With Delusions of Adequacy
LOL! Great descriptions.
Time and again on the campaign trail Kerry argues for a grand international alliance to win the Iraq war. He repeated this in the debate. But in 1991 the U.S. headed a grand alliance of 36 nations that was fully backed by a United Nations resolution. And Kerry still opposed that war to liberate Kuwait. The U.N.-backed coalition included Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar. All the pieces were there, including the cause of justice. Still he voted against it. How, knowing this, can anyone believe Kerry when he says he will show us a better way to defeat our terrorist enemies today?
If ever there was a military action that passed the “global test” — which Kerry argued for in the debate — the Persian Gulf War was it. It overwhelmingly met Kerry’s dubious standard — and still he opposed it. This reveals a credibility problem of the first order. Almost defining credulity, Kerry said in a brief statement on the Senate floor, in an accompaniment to his vote against the Persian Gulf War, that “The president made a mistake to unilaterally increase troops, set a date, and make war so probable.”
Clearly, Kerry has a very strong aversion to the use of military power under virtually any circumstance. Of course, this raises serious questions about Kerry’s ability to conduct any military operations against our fundamentalist radical-Islamist enemies. Can we really believe that the man who has called the war in Iraq a “grand diversion,” a “colossal error,” an “incredible mess,” and the “wrong war” in the “wrong place” at the “wrong time” — pessimistic and defeatist statements all — is capable of waging a strong foreign policy and prosecuting a military action of any sort? What’s really left here is the portrait of a politician steeped in ambiguity and equivocation who at bottom has a strong aversion to war of any kind, for any reason.
Larry Kudlow
The memorial needed half a million dollars. By 1961, the total already raised was $250,000, which was only half of what they needed. On March 25, 1961, Elvis Presley gave a unique live concert at the Bloch Arena in Pearl Harbor to raise funds for the USS Arizona War Memorial raising over $64,000.
Thanks Sam.
You're welcome partner. ;-)
Good night buddy :-)
Hallelujah, Free Republic is back!
Color me jealous!
Alert level raise according to news out my way.
Looking at the siesmic data, they're a little late in saying it.
Stay safe out your way.
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