Rex and Elisabeth Mansfield

Courtesy of Marshall Terrill, EIN is pleased to bring fans an interview with the authors of the soon to be released book, Sergeant Presley: Our Untold Story of Elvis’ Missing Years’.

Background

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."

The Interview

1.) Rex, when and how did you meet Elvis Presley? 

Rex Mansfield: I FIRST MET ELVIS ON MARCH 24, 1958 AT THE US ARMY INDUCTION CENTER AT KENNEDY VETERANS HOSPITAL IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

2.) From your personal perspective, did Elvis appear to enjoy the experience of being in the Army? 

RM: YES, HE DEFINITELY ENJOYED HIS ARMY EXPERIENCE.  ELVIS BECAME A MAN IN HIS OWN RIGHT WHILE  SERVING HIS COUNTRY IN THE US ARMY.

3.) Rex, how patriotic was Elvis about his country? 

RM:ELVIS LOVED HIS COUNTRY AND THOUGHT OF AMERICA AS THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.  HE WAS VERY PATRIOTIC.

4.) Was there a particular incident in your mind that solidified your friendship with Elvis?

RM: 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.

5.) Rex, what were the good personality traits you saw in Elvis, and what were some that were not so good? 

RM: 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.

6.) You took a trip with Elvis to Paris, France.  What was that experience like? 

RM: 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.

7.) Elisabeth, under what circumstances did you meet Elvis Presley? 

Elisabeth Mansfield: 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.

8.) How did it come to pass that Elvis asked you to become his secretary? 

EM: 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.

9.) Elisabeth, describe some of your daily duties as Elvis' secretary?

EM: 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.

10.) You were also in close contact with Vernon, Elvis' father.  What was he like?

EM: ACTUALLY, VERNON WAS MORE MY BOSS THAN ELVIS BECAUSE HE WAS HOME DURING THE DAY WHEN ELVIS WAS PULLING DUTY AT THE KASERN IN FRIEDBURG, GERMANY.  VERNON WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE MAN WITH A GOOD SINGING VOICE AND FUN TO WORK WITH.

11.) Rex and Elisabeth:  Under what circumstances did the two of you fall for each other? 

RM & EM: 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.

12.) If Elvis would have known about your romance, what course of action do you think he would have taken and why? 

RM & EM: 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.

13.) Rex and Elisabeth:  Elvis actually offered you two jobs to come and work for him at Graceland.  Why did you turn him down? 

RM & EM: FOR THE SAME REASONS AS ABOVE.  ALSO, WE KNEW THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIED LIFE BEING AROUND ELVIS ALL THE TIME.

14.)  Did you ever see Elvis again after 1960, and if not, why not?

RM & EM: 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.

15.) For Rex and Elisabeth:  What do you think of Elvis Presley today and the fact that he's bigger 25 years after his death than he was alive?