6.IN THE ARMY NOW: Elvis served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960. While celebrating his first Christmas at his Memphis estate, Graceland, with his family in December 1957, Elvis received a draft notice. In March 1958, he was inducted into the U.S. Army, and famously had his enviable black locks cut into the standard G.I. haircut. His parents moved to a temporary home near the base at Fort Hood, Texas, where Elvis was stationed for six months for basic training. In August of that year, Elvis was heartbroken when his mother, Gladys, died following a bout with hepatitis. In the fall, he was shipped to Germany, where he served in the Army for 18 months. While in Germany, Elvis met then-14-year-old Priscilla, the stepdaughter of an American Army captain. Elvis was honorably discharged from the Army in March 1960, as a sergeant; he received a final paycheck for $9.81, LIFE noted in 1995. When reporters asked him how it felt to be home, a tired-looking Elvis replied: "Well, I've been looking forward to it for two years, now all of a sudden here it is -- it's not easy to adjust to it."