Sam, Elvis and Marion
https://elv75.blogspot.com/2025/02/revi ... first.html
https://ourdailyelvis.wordpress.com/201 ... n-keisker/
Elvis got a surprise in the Army – Marion had become a WAC!
Later chapters explain how Elvis and Marion - who by then had joined the US Air Force - met on March 1st, 1960 at Elvis’ departure from Germany Press Conference.
When Elvis saw her his face was one of utter shock and great surprise. When he was able to speak, he said, “Marion! In Germany! And an officer!” Then he added, “I do not know, do I kiss you or salute you?” “In that order” Marion replied!
Elvis then had to explain to his superiors, “Captain, you do not understand. You wouldn’t even be having this thing today if it wasn’t for this lady.’”
In a particularly touching description Marion explains..
“So then, he held my hand. But it was a very significant thing for me. And very important to me. I am the sole, one person who never made a penny out of him, who never asked him for a favor, who never ever benefitted directly in any way from him. And it was the first and only time that Elvis ever indicated publicly that he recognized the role that I played. And to me that was a real, big … (she fights back tears). Elvis is close, second only to my son, in my affection.”
https://www.elvisinfonet.com/book_revie ... esley.html
see also
https://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/el ... -1955.html
A decade later on ‘January 16, 1971, Marion was similarly at the Jaycees’ Memphis ‘Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation’ reception when Elvis spotted her and told Priscilla, “This is the woman I’ve been telling you about. She’s the one who made all this possible. Without her, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Marion's whole life is a wonderful story and even more enjoyable when one discovers that Marion obviously enjoyed her later years, performing in Theatre and also supporting women’s right particularly with The ‘National Organization for Women’ a dedicated women’s rights advocacy coalition founded in 1966.
A later chapter also shows Marion with Elvis’ school friend Ed Leek who ended up owning Elvis' very first acetate recording. We would never have heard that precious acetate had Leek not carefully looked after it for decades.
