I had just completed basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma when the King passed. It was announced in the mess hall.
Via Variety:
When Elvis Presley died August 16, 1977, at age 42, fans around the world went into a collective state of shock. According to Variety, he lay in state for three and a half hours on Aug. 17 at Graceland and a crowd estimated at 15,000 stood in 90-degree heat waiting to view the body. Police and fire department first-aid stations were set up to revive many who fainted during the wait. On the following morning, a hit-and-run driver killed two teenage girls and injured a third as they waited in line; the driver was later apprehended.
The Variety obituary of Elvis Presley, which ran a day after his death, included a tribute from RCA Records president Louis Couttolenc. The exec said, “Elvis Presley was the greatest legend of the modern entertainment world. He ushered in the rock music era, forever changing the taste of the music-loving public.”
On Thursday, Aug. 18, Presley was buried at Forest Hills Cemetery, where Tom Jones delivered the eulogy. Among those in attendance were Ann-Margret, John Wayne, Burt Reynolds, and George Hamilton.