Elvis and me

Submitted by George Di Domizio, Salford

What are the odds that I’d be sitting in the living room of Private Elvis Presley’s rented home in Bad Nauheim, Germany listening to him talk about his Hollywood adventures and lots of other show biz topics?
What are the odds that Elvis would learn that I played quarterback at Lansdale Catholic High School?
What are the odds that he would invite me to join a group of Army buddies in a Sunday
afternoon touch football game?
What are the odds that on Sunday, September 13, 1959, 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, dressed in a Navy blue and white dress, would visit Elvis for the very first time while we were playing football?
What are the odds that I’d slip on the muddy field, land face down in the mud and get up with a clump of mud on my chin?
What are the odds that Elvis would be nearby and decide to flirt with Priscilla by showing her and other fans on the sidelines the clump of mud?
What are the odds that Ron Caley, an Army buddy from Canton, Ohio would have a camera handy and catch the scene?
Despite the long odds, all that happened and the photo captured the story.
Here’s the way it happened. Wes Daniels, the Army photographer for Combat Command
C of the Third Armored Division, became friends with Elvis as part of his assignments to
cover routine military and civilian activity in and around the Army base location in Friedberg, Germany. Wes, from New York City, struck up a friendship with Joe Esposito, who hailed from Chicago. The two big city guys found lots to talk about, and among the topics was Elvis.
Wes arranged an Elvis visit for Joe and they hit it off. Joe became part of the small group of GI’s who had a standing invitation to drop by the Bad Nauheim house anytime he was in the area. Since Joe and I shared a two soldier room in the Friedberg barracks, it was only natural that I wanted to be part of the Elvis adventure.
Joe arranged for me to meet Elvis. As we made our way through the crowd of about 30 eager German fans to the front door of the Bad Nauheim home, Joe warned me that Elvis makes quick judgments about people. He either likes you or he doesn’t.
Red West, one of Elvis’s pals from Memphis, opened the door and announced that Elvis wasn’t feeling well. He had a cold and would probably go to bed early. My first thought was that he’d probably say hello and head off to bed to nurse his cold. Then, I’d never know if we didn’t hit it off or if he disappeared because of the cold.
I shouldn’t have worried. My first interaction with Elvis produced one of his famous belly
laughs that seem to start at his toes.
Elvis always greeted people with the line: “Hello. I’m Elvis Presley.” We were still shaking
hands when I said: “Hello. My name is George Di Domizio.” He stepped back, flashed a big grin and said, “I’ll call you D.” I said: “OK. And, I’ll call you E.” That produced the belly
laugh and an invitation to join the group that led to the football game and the photo.
After our discharge in 1960, Joe went on to become part of the Memphis Mafia, became Elvis’s road manager and best man as his wedding. Joe was there at Graceland when Elvis died. He was unable to revive Elvis by CPR.
Joe and I kept up our friendship over the years and it continues today, some 52 years after our first meeting. Over the years, there have been many Elvis experiences. One of the highlights was the chance for my wife, June, to meet Elvis in 1968 in Apache Junction in Arizona. Wewere on our honeymoon in Scottsdale, Arizona, about 30 miles from Apache Junction whereElvis was on location for the film, Charro. He invited us to visit him on the set.
Joe called me yesterday to touch base upon his return from Sweden where he was involved in Elvis tribute events. He’ll be part of an Elvis tribute at the Vegas Hilton July 15 to 17, Elvis
tribute week in Memphis in August, then off to Canada in late August before he heads to Genoa, Italy for an Elvis cruise. The Army adventure continues.