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'''Arlie Metheny''' (January 5, 1918 – September 15, 2008) was a [[United States Army]] officer during [[World War II]] and the [[Cold War]], who served as public information spokesman at Fort Chaffee near [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], [[Arkansas]], at the time [[Elvis Presley]] was inducted into the military in 1958.

'''Arlie Metheny''' (January 5, 1918 – September 15, 2008) was a [[United States Army]] officer during [[World War II]] and the [[Cold War]], who served as public information spokesman at Fort Chaffee near [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], [[Arkansas]], at the time [[Elvis Presley]] was inducted into the military in 1958.

Metheny was the eldest of seven children born to a [[cotton]] [[farmer]] in Silverdale in Dunklin County in the southeastern Bootheel of [[Missouri]]. In 1938, Metheny hopped a freight train and picked [[apple]]s, [[Strawberry|strawberries]], and cotton in [[Michigan]], [[Texas]], [[Illinois]], and Arkansas. Thereafter, he began a 20-year military career. He was a personnel sergeant-major of the 27th Infantry Regiment. First, Metheny joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] and fought in the 1942 [[Battle of Guadalcanal]], where he was severely injured. In 1947, he transferred to the Army and was commissioned a first lieutenant. After World War II, he served two tours of duty in the occupation of [[Japan]] under [[General]] [[Douglas MacArthur]]. His stateside service brought him to Fort Chaffee, where during the conclusion of his military years was  a public information officer. Metheny was the Army liaison officer during the 1957 desegregation of  Central High School in the capital city of [[Little Rock]].<ref name=metheny>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29865966/arlie-metheny|title=Arlie Metheny|publisher-Findagrave.com|accessdate=September 10, 2018}}</ref>

Metheny was the eldest of seven children born to a [[cotton]] [[farmer]] in Silverdale in Dunklin County in the southeastern Bootheel of [[Missouri]]. In 1938, Metheny hopped a freight train and picked [[apple]]s, [[Strawberry|strawberries]], and cotton in [[Michigan]], [[Texas]], [[Illinois]], and Arkansas. Thereafter, he began a 20-year military career. He was a personnel sergeant-major of the 27th Infantry Regiment. First, Metheny joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] and fought in the 1942 battle of [[Guadalcanal]], where he was severely injured. In 1947, he transferred to the Army and was commissioned a first lieutenant. After World War II, he served two tours of duty in the occupation of [[Japan]] under [[General]] [[Douglas MacArthur]]. His stateside service brought him to Fort Chaffee, where during the conclusion of his military years was  a public information officer. Metheny was the Army liaison officer during the 1957 desegregation of  Central High School in the capital city of [[Little Rock]].<ref name=metheny>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29865966/arlie-metheny|title=Arlie Metheny|publisher-Findagrave.com|accessdate=September 10, 2018}}</ref>

In 1958, Metheny was a coordinator, along with [[John Mawn]], of the entry of Elvis Presley's induction into the Army. Photographers bombarded Presley during his three days at Fort Chaffee. Metheny recalled one free-lance photographer who snapped shots of Presley in his underwear and during meals whenever the entertainer opened his mouth. "After a few minutes I suggested they let him eat, and everyone but the freelancer backed off. I had the escort him out of the mess hall.".  Gary Metheny of Conway, one of his seven sons, recalled that Metheny nearly passed out when he came home from such an exhausting day at the time Presley left the camp. At home, his work continued, as Metheny fielded three hours of telephone calls from the national media. Metheny suffered severe exhaustion, was hospitalized, and given five days of leave for recuperation. Metheny thereafter retired in 1959 at the rank of captain and resided in Fort Smith until after his wife died of cancer in 1986.<ref name=metheny/>

In 1958, Metheny was a coordinator, along with [[John Mawn]], of the entry of Elvis Presley's induction into the Army. Photographers bombarded Presley during his three days at Fort Chaffee. Metheny recalled one free-lance photographer who snapped shots of Presley in his underwear and during meals whenever the entertainer opened his mouth. "After a few minutes I suggested they let him eat, and everyone but the freelancer backed off. I had the escort him out of the mess hall.".  Gary Metheny of Conway, one of his seven sons, recalled that Metheny nearly passed out when he came home from such an exhausting day at the time Presley left the camp. At home, his work continued, as Metheny fielded three hours of telephone calls from the national media. Metheny suffered severe exhaustion, was hospitalized, and given five days of leave for recuperation. Metheny thereafter retired in 1959 at the rank of captain and resided in Fort Smith until after his wife died of cancer in 1986.<ref name=metheny/>