I brevet star der (mine fremhævelser): ”Dear Mr. President. First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley and admire you and have great respect for your office. I talked to Vice President Agnew in Palm Springs three weeks ago and expressed my concern for our country. The drug culture, the hippie elements, the SDS, Black Panthers, etc. do NOT consider me as their enemy or as they call it The Establishment. I call it America and I love it. Sir, I can and will be of any service that I can to help The Country out. I have no concern or Motives other than helping the country out.
So I wish not to be given a title or an appointed position. I can and will do more good if I were made a Federal Agent at Large and I will help out by doing it my way through my communications with people of all ages. First and foremost, I am an entertainer, but all I need is the Federal credentials. I am on this plane with Senator George Murphy and we have been discussing the problems that our country is faced with.
Sir, I am staying at the Washington Hotel, Room 505-506-507. I have two men who work with me by the name of Jerry Schilling and Sonny West. I am registered under the name of Jon Burrows. I will be here for as long as it takes to get the credentials of a Federal Agent. I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing where I can and will do the most good.
I am Glad to help just so long as it is kept very Private. You can have your staff or whomever call me anytime today, tonight, or tomorrow. I was nominated this coming year one of America's Ten Most Outstanding Young Men. That will be in January 18 in my home town of Memphis, Tennessee. I am sending you the short autobiography about myself so you can better understand this approach. I would love to meet you just to say hello if you're not too busy.
Respectfully,
Elvis Presley
P. S. I believe that you, Sir, were one of the Top Ten Outstanding Men of America also. I have a personal gift for you which I would like to present to you and you can accept it or I will keep it for you until you can take it. “
Brevet fra Elvis til Nixon.Stabschef Haldeman beslutter at det kan være godt for Nixons image hos unge mennesker at Nixon mødes med ham og ser om man ikke på en eller anden måde kan gøre Elvis til Æresagent. En medarbejder skriver til Haldeman:
"This morning Bud [Egil] Krogh will have Mr. Presley in and talk to him about drugs and about what Presley can do. Bud will also check to see if there is some kind of honorary agent at large or credential of some sort that we can provide for Presley. After Bud has met with Presley, it is recommended that we have Bud bring Presley in during the Open Hour to meet briefly with the President . . ."
Samme dag, altså den 21. december, ankommer Elvis til Det Hvide Hus kvart i 12 hvor han som planlagt mødes med Egil ”Bud” Krogh der i sin dagbog skriver følgende om mødet med Elvis og specielt Elvis’ påklædning der er anderledes end det folk normalt har på når de skal til møde i Det Hvide Hus, Bud Krogh skriver:
“But in his own rock star way, he was resplendent. He was wearing tight-fitting dark velvet pants, a white silky shirt with very high collars and open to below his chest, a dark purple velvet cape, a gold medallion, and heavy silver-plated amber-tinted designer sunglasses with "EP" built into the nose bridge. Around his waist was a belt with a huge four-inch by six-inch gold belt buckle with a complex design I couldn't make out without embarrassing myself. . . This was a time in sartorial history when gold chains festooned the necks of many of the more style-conscious men in our society.”
Tre kvarter senere, klokken 12.30, følger Bud Krogh Elvis ind til Der Ovale Kontor hvor Elvis møder Nixon. Bud Krogh er tilstede ved hele mødet og lave et detaljeret notat af hvad der bliver talt om på mødet.
Nixon trykker hånd med Elvis. I hånden har Elvis sine agentudnævnelse og billeder af sin familie.Hele seancen bliver foreviget af Det Hvide Hus’ fotograf Ollie Atkins der tager det berømte billede af Nixon og Elvis der til dato er det billede fra de nationale arkiver i Washington der efterspørges flest kopier af.
The Picture!Et par dage senere skriver Nixon et takkebrev til Elvis. Pistolen, en Colt 45, som Elvis gav Nixon er i dag en del af udstillingen på Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace i Yorba Linda, Californien.
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