54 Years Ago: Elvis Discharged from the Army

Today (March 5) marks the 54th anniversary of Sergeant Elvis Presley's official discharge from the Army. In interviews, 'The King of Rock and Roll' spoke quietly about his experiences both good and bad while in the military.

Less than a month before discharge, Elvis was awarded his full Sergeant's stripes.

It was also during his time in the Army Elvis met his future wife Priscilla Beaulieu. They dated almost seven years before marrying.

One of the biggest life changing events during active military duty came when his mother Gladys died. While Elvis was able to take leave and attend her funeral, her death proved to be devastating to both him and his father.

It's also reported that Elvis' addiction to drugs started in the Army when he was introduced to amphetamines. After that, Elvis was never able to break his dependency on drugs ultimately leading to his death in 1977.

There was some concern that Elvis couldn't revive his career after being absent from the music scene for almost two years, but he not only kept his music career  alive, but also continued to pursue his dream of being an actor.