|
Rex Mansfield was inducted into the Army on the same day as Elvis Presley
in March 1958. He went with him through basic training with him in
Texas, and travelled with the King to Germany and became close friends for the next
18 months. Elisabeth Stefaniak was a young German girl in 1958, and was hired
to answer Presley's fan mail. Elisabeth became romantically involved with
Elvis, but was torn between her love for the King, and an ordinary solider
named Rex Mansfield. Elisabeth eventually chose Rex and they married in
June 1960 but never saw Presley again. Rex and Elisabeth's
book, "Sergeant Presley: Our Untold Story of Elvis' Missing Years" is a story three
people: Rex, who becomes a close friend of Elvis;Elisabeth, who becomes one of
Elvis' girlfriends; and Elvis himself, during the "missing
years."
Q: When and how did you meet Elvis Presley?
Rex: I FIRST MET ELVIS ON MARCH 24, 1958 AT THE US ARMY INDUCTION CENTER AT
KENNEDY VETERANS HOSPITAL IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.
Q: From your personal perspective, did Elvis appear to enjoy the
experience of being in the Army?
Rex: YES, HE DEFINITELY ENJOYED HIS ARMY EXPERIENCE. ELVIS BECAME A MAN IN
HIS OWN RIGHT WHILE SERVING HIS COUNTRY IN THE US ARMY.
Q: How patriotic was Elvis about his country?
Rex: ELVIS LOVED HIS COUNTRY AND THOUGHT OF AMERICA AS THE GREATEST
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. HE WAS VERY PATRIOTIC.
Q: Was there a particular incident in your mind that solidified your
friendship with Elvis?
Rex: ELVIS' NUMBER 1 GIRLFRIEND AT THAT WAS ANITA WOOD. SHE PAID HIM A
SURPRISE VISIT ONE WEEKEND WHILE WE WERE IN BASIC TRAINING. ELVIS WAS
SCHEDULED FOR GUARD DUTY THAT NIGHT. ELVIS OFFERED TO PAY ME A NICE SUM OF
MONEY IF I WOULD AGREE TO PULL HIS GUARD DUTY FOR HIM. I AGREED TO PULL
THE
GUARD DUTY BUT I REFUSED TO TAKE HIS MONEY SAYING I WOULD DO THAT FOR
ANYBODY IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE. ELVIS WAS IMPRESSED WITH MY RESPONSE
AND FROM THAT TIME ON I WAS ONE OF HIS CLOSE FRIENDS.
Q: What were the good personality traits you saw in Elvis, and what were
some that were not so good?
Rex: GOOD TRAITS: HE WAS SINCERE, PERSONABLE, KIND HEARTED, HUMOROUS HE
HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR), POLITE, LIKEABLE AND FUN TO BE AROUND. NOT SO GOOD
TRAITS: HE WAS EGOTISTICAL AND NEEDED HIS EGO FED CONSTANTLY, HE WAS
SUSPICIOUS OF EVERYBODY, JEALOUS AND VERY POSSESSIVE OF THOSE AROUND
HIM.
Q: You took a trip with Elvis to Paris, France. What was that experience
like?
Rex: IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE AND THE MOST EXCITING TRIP I HAD EVER TAKEN IN MY
LIFE AT THAT TIME. BEING ELVIS' CLOSE FRIEND AND TRAVEL COMPANION, DURING
THIS TRIP, MADE ME FEEL LIKE A CELEBRITY. IT WAS REALLY A GREAT
EXPERIENCE.
Q: Elisabeth, under what circumstances did you meet Elvis
Presley?
Elisabeth: I MET ELVIS IN NOVEMBER 1958 AT THE "TOWER THEATRE' (US ARMY
POST THEATRE AT GRAFENWOREHR, GERMANY, US TRAINING CENTER). I ONLY EXPECTED TO
SEE HIM AND GET HIS AUTOGRAPH BUT WAS INVITED BY HIM TO SIT NEXT TO HIM
FOR
THE ENTIRE MOVIE AND ELVIS THEN WALKING ME HOME FROM THE MOVIE.
Q: How did it come to pass that Elvis asked you to become his
secretary?
Elisabeth: AT THAT TIME ELVIS DID NOT HAVE A SECRETARY IN GERMANY AND
THOUSANDS OF FAN LETTERS WERE ALREADY COMING TO HIM EVERY DAY. HE NEED A
SECRETARY THAT SPOKE AND READ BOTH ENGLISH AND GERMANY AND I WAS
QUALIFIED.
HE ASKED ME TO BECOME HIS SECRETARY AND MOVE TO BAD NAUHEIM, GERMANY,
WHERE I WOULD LIVE AND WORK FROM HIS HOME. WITH THE APPROVAL OF MY PARENTS, I
GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED HIS KIND OFFER AND MOVED WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
Q: Describe some of your daily duties as Elvis'
secretary?
Rex: ANSWERING FAN MAIL FROM EUROPEAN COUNTRIES BUT MOSTLY GERMAN FAN
MAIL.
ANSWERING THE DOOR DURING AUTOGRAPH HOURS DURING THE EVENING WHEN ELVIS
WAS HOME. I ALSO HELPED GRANDMA WITH THE MEALS.
Q: You were also in close contact with Vernon, Elvis' father. What was he
like?
Elisabeth: ACTUALLY, VERNON WAS MORE MY BOSS THAN ELVIS BECAUSE HE WAS
HOME DURING THE DAY WHEN ELVIS WAS PULLINGDUTY AT THE KASERN IN
FRIEDBURG, GERMANY. VERNON WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE MAN WITH A GOOD SINGING VOICE AND
FUN TO WORK WITH.
Q: The next for questions are for Rex and Elisabeth: Under what
circumstances did the two of you fall for each other?
Rex and Elisabeth: ELVIS' GRANDMA, MINNIE PRESLEY, LOVED ELISABETH AND
LIKED ME A LOT. SHE DID NOT LIKE THE WAY ELVIS WAS IGNORING ELISABETH,
ESPECIALLY WHEN PRISCILLA CAME INTO HIS LIFE. GRANDMA WANTED ELISABETH TO HAVE A GOOD
LIFE AND A GOOD HUSBAND. SHE INSISTED THAT THE TWO OF US GET TOGETHER
SAYING TO EACH OF US PRIVATELY AND LATER IN HER BEDROOM TOGETHER THAT WE WOULD BE
REALLY GOOD FOR EACH OTHER. SHE DID ALL THIS FOR US IN SECRET BECAUSE SHE
KNEW ELVIS WOULD NOT APPROVE OUR RELATIONSHIP. WE BEGAN SEEING EACH OTHER
IN SECRET AND FELL IN LOVE. THE REST IS HISTORY.
Q: If Elvis would have known about your romance, what course of action do
you think he would have taken and why?
Rex and Elisabeth: HE WOULD HAVE KICKED US BOTH OUT OF HIS INNER CIRCLE
AND HOUSE BECAUSE WHAT WE DID WAS AGAINST HIS RULES. HIS EGO WOULD NOT HAVE
ALLOWED US TO STAY WITH HIM AND CONTINUE DATING EACH OTHER.
Q: Elvis actually offered you two jobs to come and work for him at
Graceland. Why did you turn him down?
Rex and Elisabeth: FOR THE SAME REASONS AS QUESTION ABOVE. ALSO, WE KNEW
THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIED LIFE BEING AROUND ELVIS ALL THE
TIME.
Q: Did you ever see Elvis again after 1960, and if not, why
not?
Rex and Elisabeth: NO, WE NEVER SAY HIM IN PERSON AGAIN AFTER MARCH OF
1960. WE HAD ONE GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND VISIT WITH HIM BUT WERE ADVISED
AGAINST IT BY A FRIEND FROM ELVIS'S INNER CIRCLE. AT THAT TIME ELVIS WAS
HAVING BIG PROBLEMS WITH HIS MARRIAGE TO PRISCILLA, WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST
DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH AND MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE TAKEN OUT HIS
FRUSTRATIONS ON US.
Q: What do you think of Elvis Presley today and the fact that he's bigger
25
years after his death than he was alive?
Rex and Elisabeth: ELVIS WAS EXTREMELY GIFTED AS A ENTERTAINER AND SINGER
AND WAS TRULY ONE OF A KIND. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER PERSON LIKE
ELVIS. HE WAS DESTINED FOR GREATNESS AND WE THINK GOD HAD A PLAN FOR ELVIS
FOLLOWING HIS WORLDWIDE FAME. THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT TREMENDOUS
INFLUENCE FOR GOOD ELVIS COULD HAVE HAD OUR GENERATION HAD HE CHOSEN TO DO IT
"GOD'S WAY" INSTEAD OF HIS WAY. HOWEVER, THIS MATTER IS NOT FOR US OR ANYONE ELSE
TO JUDGE. WE ARE NOT SURPRISED AT ALL THAT HE IS BIGGER TODAY THAN AT HIS
EARLY AND UNTIMELY DEATH 25 YEARS AGO.
2002/08/01 Marshall Terill / EpGold.Com.
|
