PRESLEY'S ARMY BUDDY HAS OWN `LITTLE GRACELAND'

PRESLEY'S ARMY BUDDY HAS OWN `LITTLE GRACELAND'

LOS FRESNOS, Tex. (Wireless Flash) -- Wednesday (Aug. 16) marks the 23rd anniversary of the day Elvis Presley died at the age of 42. Although thousands will be paying their respects at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, the next best place may be Little Graceland in Los Fresnos, Texas. Little Graceland is a shrine set up 14 years ago by retired schoolteacher Simon Vega, who served with Elvis in Germany between 1958 and 1960. It features a full-size metal gate identical to the Memphis Graceland and houses a bizarre collection of Elvis artifacts including an Elvis doll wearing an Army uniform and a duplicate of the sunglasses Elvis wore when he met President Nixon. But the pride of Vega's collection may be the Army medal Elvis received for good conduct. He says he asked the King for it as a lark and Presley handed it right over.