Elvis wrote a letter to the Colonel. He requested to arrange with RCA to put out a recorded message to his fans:
"I want to be able to thank them not only for buying my records and for their loyalty to me but also for the help they have given me in deciding the kind of songs to sing… I'm deeply grateful to them, and I want them to know it. When I'm out or the army recording again, I will always listen to their ideas, just as I did before, I just wanted to let my fans know how I feel. Sincerely, Elvis."