By 
Upstairs one afternoon in Elvis’s room at Graceland, he and I were talking about the death of his mother in 1958. It was the most turbulent, disoriented, and confusing time of his life: drafted into the army, leaving the career that had exploded two years before. , uncertain what the future would bring.
“Man, you can’t believe what I was going through back then. I mean, everything was crashing down on me at once, all the dreams I’d ever had. Just when everything was going my way, the Army called me. My career stopped abruptly, all the movies I was starring in, my records, everything. To tell you the truth, I actually thought that no one would remember me after I did my time, that it would be kind of a flash-in- You know, people were like, “hey , do you remember that guy, the one who used to shake his body, what’s his name?”
So the first thing they do when they induce me is rip my hair out!” Elvis shook his head in disbelief. “Can you imagine that, Larry, my hair? Then when he was struggling to deal with everything, my mom suddenly died! My mom was the light of my life, my best friend; I mean, she’s the one she could always go to… man, no matter what. That’s a blow you can never get over.”
“But no matter what happened and all, I’m glad I served my country, Larry. I love America; where else can you dream the impossible dream? Trust me, no one knows better than me. I’ve lived that.” dream. My mom kept telling me, even when we had nothing, that I could be anything she wanted to be, if she tried hard enough.”
“And I’ll tell you this, Larry, I didn’t have to go to the Army like everyone else did. They told me that if I wanted to I could be in a special service unit, you know, represent the Army and tour the other bases around the world, talk to the guys, maybe entertain and sing. I didn’t even have to think about it. I turned him down outright. I didn’t want to be treated special or anything like that; I just wanted everyone to know that I was just like any other guy.”
Elvis had a strong sense of history and was proud of his traditional southern love of country. He got his energy and strength from American soil and the people from it. “Sure, America isn’t perfect, but it’s the best hope we have for this world. I mean, who else is as free as us? People will do anything to get here; some even die. America represents hope.” for this world. I am proud to be an American and I am proud to have served my country.”
Elvis lived the American dream. He rose from the most desperate poverty to unprecedented fame and fortune. He also embodied the American spirit; he was optimistic, brash, daring and certainly a trailblazer. Like America, Elvis embraced everyone; whether he was the president, office worker, or janitor, everyone was treated equally by him.
After all these years, Elvis still inspires and touches millions of lives around the world. Many who weren’t even born when he left us. The image of Elvis, his music and the force of his personality continue as a living and vibrant presence.
Elvis goes beyond being a legend; he is a historical icon. Yet one of the great ironies of his extraordinary life can be revealed in a comment he once made: “I wonder,” he said quietly… “I wonder if I’ll ever be remembered.”
I think it’s safe to say that we all remember and love him for the great human being that he was: uniquely American, but belonging to the world.