August 16 marks 46 years since Elvis Presley died. His legacy lives on — not just for fans, but for those who got to know the man behind the music. More than 60 years after befriending the iconic southern crooner while enlisted in the U.S. Army, author Johnny Lang put pen to paper and documented a few of the fond memories he had with Presley in his novel, “My Army Days with Elvis: Friendship, Football, & Follies.” Lang exclusively told Fox News Digital he was motivated to write the novel after watching Austin Butler’s “outstanding” performance in the award-winning film, “Elvis.” Walking out of the theater with his children and grandchildren, Lang’s son asked, “What do you think, Dad? Do you think you’re ready to write a book?” ELVIS PRESLEY’S 1968 ‘BORDELLO’ SCENE ORIGINALLY CUT FOR BEING TOO RISQUE: DIRECTOR “After seeing this, man, it inspired me,” Lang responded. His wild memories with Elvis lasted a lifetime. From spending hours in training to countless weekends together playing football and nearly becoming blood brothers, Lang cherished the close bond he formed with the “Jailhouse Rock” singer. Author Johnny Lang detailed Elvis Presley’s humor and larger-than-life persona in a book about their time together in the Army. (Getty Images) Elvis was drafted into the Army in 1958 while Lang volunteered for the service, which was typical at the time. The only difference was that Presley already had thousands of fans across the country as the “Heartbreak Hotel” artist with a Las Vegas residency under his belt. Lang had seen Elvis on the firing range in Fort Hood, Texas, but his first opportunity to speak with the musician was on a train headed to New Jersey before they were due to hop on the USS Randolph to Germany. WATCH: Author Johnny Lang remembers special moment with Elvis Presley Charlie Hodge, Presley’s long-time best friend, introduced Lang to the singer while en route. ELVIS PRESLEY’S FINAL MONTHS WERE PLAGUED WITH PHYSICAL PAIN AS HE EMBARKED ON GRUELING TOUR, AUTHOR CLAIMS “I never met a celebrity in my whole life,” Lang recalled. “There’s Elvis, sitting down there like that, and I walk up to him, standing up and my heart’s going like this. And I just stare at him. Elvis Presley was drafted into the United States Army in 1958. (Getty Images) Presley stands with a group of young men at an induction center raising their right hands as they are sworn into the United States Army by an officer standing next to an American flag. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) “And he’s looking at me. Finally, he says, ‘Sit down, chief.’ So I sit down, and I’m so nervous. I said, ‘Hey, will you autograph my grandmother’s picture? My sister’s picture? My mother’s picture?’ He says, ‘No problem.’ Anyway, I was there for about 15 minutes and in awe, in awe. And the last thing he says to me, ‘I’ll see you on the boat, Johnny. Maybe we can spend some time together.’ I say, ‘I’ll be looking for you.’” Presley was allowed to live off base while stationed in Germany, and Lang was a regular visitor. WATCH: Elvis Presley was a jokester at heart “I spent all my weekends at his house.” Lang said. “I’d get up about noon, and then at about one o’clock, I’d be at the house, and there would be about three or four hundred people there because they all want an autograph,” Lang said. “I just knock on the door. … I spent almost a year and a half with him every weekend. “We’d play football with three or four hundred people watching us play ball.” Presley served for two years and was discharged in 1960. (Michael Ochs Archive) Elvis Presley had already found fame when he was drafted into the Army in 1958. (Vittoriano Rastelli) One of Lang’s favorite stories with his friend was from a time Elvis had a head cold, and the pair shared a quiet, yet poignant moment together. “We were combat training in a place called Grafenwöhr,” Lang recalled. Presley had a “tank outfit” while Lang was in a “scout outfit,” but they somehow reconnected. “I find the barracks. Elvis is all by himself. So, I walk in and say, ‘Hey, babe, what’s going on?’ He says, ‘I don’t feel good. All the guys are at training. They left me here behind.’ So, he’s laying on an army bed, and I’m sitting there, just him and me. Biggest guy in the world. But we’re talking,” Lang remembered. ANN-MARGRET DESCRIBES HER ELVIS PRESLEY CONNECTION, REMEMBERS NIBBLING ON PAT BOONE’S SHOULDER “I sat on the edge of the bed, and I said, ‘Hey El, will you tell me something?’ I said, ‘Why are you, with all the fame you have and all the money you have, why are you and I friends?’ He said, ‘I’m going to tell you something Johnny Lang. You’d still like me if I was a janitor, and thank God I’m not.’ And I say, ‘You’ve got that right.’ I got up, and in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Unbelievable, just him and I, the whole world would love to see it.’” Presley performed on the “The Ed Sullivan Show” Jan. 6, 1957, in New York City. (Michael Ochs Archives) Along with fellow recruits, Elvis (left) waits for a physical examination upon entering the U.S. Army at the Fort Chaffee training installation at Fort Smith, Ark., March 25, 1958. (Don Cravens) Lang remembered helping Presley fix his blanket because he wasn’t feeling his best and said, “You take care. I know you’re not feeling good. I won’t keep you up, but God bless you. I’ll see you when that opportunity arrives again.” “He said, ‘No problem, Johnny. Thanks for coming by.’ And that’s my favorite story of all. I mean. Entertainer of the century!” Elvis kept Johnny on his toes, too. WATCH: Elvis Presley had ‘the greatest laugh’ and a huge heart “You never know what he’s going to do,” Lang said. “He
