In memory of the men and women that never returned from the Vietnam War.

(1954 to 1975)

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EIN review of the author's previous Elvis book: Remember: A Love Story  

"Elvis guided me to write the attached chapter in July and while I was writing he asked me to research information about If I Can Dream. I found information about the song and the white suit, which he asked me to include."

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It was on a warm June day in 2006 when Elvis Presley first walked into my meditation. He was wearing his black leathers from the ’68 Comeback Special, ELVIS, and appeared as he did at age thirty-three. At the time of his first appearance I was not an Elvis fan, but our relationship began then, and he has been communicating with me ever since. Over time he convinced me that we’ve had many past-lives together. He also proved to me that I was his identical twin brother, Jesse, who had been stillborn. After countless hours communicating with Elvis, in 2014 I published my memoir, Remember, which details many of my experiences with him from 2006 to 2010.

Over the years I’ve enjoyed many miraculous adventures and surprising guidance from Elvis. He has guided me when I’ve travelled to cities where he had performed, or filmed his movies. Some of these adventures were to help me heal some difficult past-life memories, and karma.

One such adventure was a trip I took with my friend, Dawne. Elvis had told me that Dawne was our daughter from a past-life, but neither of us knew for sure if this was true.

Dawne and I planned a four day trip to Las Vegas in May 2012. Neither of us had ever been to Vegas before, so we were unsure of what to expect. Elvis always tells me to expect the unexpected, so I wondered what experiences were in store for us!

Our three hour flight left early on May 2 nd. Once in the air, we began chatting and truly enjoying ourselves. Dawne was wearing a simple T-shirt, but suddenly I started to see a man’s red bow tie around her neck. I had shared many stories with Dawne about my experiences with Elvis, but up to this point she had not been involved in any of them. The vision of the red bow tie would not go away, and after a while I wondered if I should tell her what I was seeing. I felt it was important, but as soon as I told her about this strange vision, it disappeared!

When we arrived at the Las Vegas airport, after picking up our luggage we found a taxi to take us to Treasure Island Resort and Casino where we had reservations. It was very exciting seeing all the sights as we drove along the Vegas Strip. We checked into the hotel and settled into our room.

We had previously discussed seeing Phantom of the Opera while we were there, and maybe another show. Cirque du Soleil: Viva Elvis was playing at the Aria Hotel, and obviously that appealed to me, but Dawne really wanted to see Phantom so I didn’t press the issue. We headed out to buy tickets, and while we were in the queue Dawne suddenly said, “I think we should go see Cirque du Soleil: Viva Elvis!” I was truly startled as, until this moment, she had expressed no interest in seeing this show. Of course I agreed!

When we got to the ticket counter we learned there were very few seats available for two people together. Then the agent told us we could have seats 8 and 9 together – in the front row! I knew this is where we should sit as, over the years, I had learned that Elvis believed his number was an 8. There are many references and experiences with the number 8 in my own life now that Elvis and I are connected.

That evening we got dressed and took a taxi to the Aria Hotel. Our front row seats were located right at centre stage! I sat in seat 8 and Dawne in seat 9, but seat 10 was empty. I knew this seat was for Elvis.

When the show started, at centre stage they displayed a large picture of Elvis as a young boy with his parents. I felt such profound sadness when I saw this picture. Then, two actors dressed as Elvis’ parents walked onto the stage holding the hand of a small boy dressed as Elvis. As soon as they appeared I started to sob uncontrollably. I realized this experience was to help me heal from this missed lifetime as Elvis’ brother, and prove to me again that I had been Jesse. I had a hard time pulling myself together, and Dawne was not sure what to do to comfort me. After I stopped crying I seemed to feel better, and once again began to enjoy the performance.

As the show progressed we enjoyed Elvis singing, while the Cirque cast performed with different costumes and acrobatics to match his songs. It was close to the end of the show when a young couple came on stage dancing to Elvis singing Suspicious Minds. She wore a short red dress, and he wore black tuxedo pants with a cummerbund and a white shirt. And around his neck – he wore an untied red bow tie. I looked at Dawne to find her staring at me in total shock! After this couple’s romantic dance, more male dancers came on stage – all dressed the same way. They all wore bow ties – some red and some black, all of them untied! It was truly amazing!

At the end of the show some of the women came on stage holding red scarves, and Elvis appeared on the large screen behind them wearing his white double breasted suit from the ’68 Comeback Special, ELVIS, with a dark red neckerchief held in place by a gold band. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole show, and later we realized this evening had been a family evening out together; Elvis and I with our daughter (Dawne) sitting between us.

The next day we bought tickets for the show Le Rêve (The Dream) at the Wynn Hotel. During the afternoon we went to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, at the Luxor Hotel. In my book Remember, I recount a past-life where I had been on the Titanic. I felt the Titanic exhibition was to help me heal from the Soul memories and trauma I carry from that lifetime. There were over two hundred and fifty artifacts, and they had recreated many parts of the ship. April 15, 2012, was the 100 th Anniversary of the sinking of the ship. It was all so surreal!

We took the sky train back to our hotel, and right after dinner we headed out to Le Rêve, our evening show. Our third row seats were numbers 17 and 18 . I sat in seat 17, as 1 + 7 equals an 8. We were just out of range for getting splashed, as the acrobats dove in and out of a huge pool of water. At the end of the show some of the cast threw red carnations into the audience, and one landed in Dawne’s lap! She kept it of course, and I wondered what it might mean.

On our last day we packed up before breakfast and went to eat at the Grand Lux Café in the Venetian Hotel. Another adventure was almost complete, so after breakfast we checked out of our hotel and headed to the airport for our flight home! Viva Las Vegas!

The next day at home I checked my email and found a message from Maui Divers Jewelry displaying their Hipu’u Aloha collection for Mother’s Day, which means a Binding Love. The collection included a beautiful gold and pearl bracelet and necklace set. There was a large bow in the centre of the necklace, followed by three white pearls and then a smaller bow. This pattern continued around the whole necklace. The gold bow was a startling reminder of the red bow tie.

Was this another sign from Elvis?

I then received the following message from Elvis, which I shared with Dawne:

“Oh my love you know how much I love and adore you. Yes the bow tie is to symbolize our binding love, and that Dawne is the result of our sacred union (in that life). The visual of it as a red tied bow tie was so that she knows that our love is unending and the circle is unbroken. She needs to know that we are both there to help and support her and always will be. The red untied bow tie is to know that my love is unchained, thus the song, Unchained Melody. I love you both.

The Hawaiian necklace and bracelet is for our love and for you for Mother’s Day. I want you to know the Vegas trip was to bring our family together; both of you, and us over here. Yes that includes the grandparents and great grandparents. We were all there with you, seeing you two learn to have fun and care for each other.

Yes the red carnation was from me to her. This was no mistake or coincidence. It was for her with love from me.”

While I was writing this story, I felt Elvis prodding me to research if there was more information about him wearing the dark red neckerchief with his If I Can Dream white suit.

An internet search revealed that during an evening rehearsal for the ELVIS special, they heard on a television from an adjacent room that Robert Kennedy had been killed. For the remainder of the evening, Elvis openly discussed with director Steve Binder, his personal feelings and hopes for the world.

On August 28 th, 1963, Martin Luther King had given his I Have a Dream speech. Then on April 4 th, 1968, Dr. King was shot and killed in Memphis Tennessee, just two months prior to the start of production on the ELVIS special.

After talking with Elvis about all these events, Steve asked Walter Earl Brown to write a song that reflected Elvis’ philosophy. That song was If I Can Dream.

A further internet search turned up a video by Butch Polston, which talked about the If I Can Dream White Suit:the Untold Story. Apparently designer Bill Belew created the wardrobe for the ELVIS special, and he had Elvis wearing neckerchiefs with some of his outfits. He felt the song If I Can Dream was very moving, and spoke to that generation about the difficult times they had been through during the sixties.

For this song, Bill told Elvis he thought the white suit he had made would be more appropriate than the black leathers Elvis would wear for much of the concert. When Elvis tried it on, Bill felt there was something missing, and realized it needed a neckerchief.

That evening Bill heard Walter Cronkite on the evening news speaking about all the soldiers that had died that week in the Vietnam War.

The next day Bill found a dark red neckerchief for Elvis to wear with the white suit. Bill explained to Elvis about the news he had watched, and how many soldiers had died, and that this neckerchief would represent the blood of all these soldiers that had lost their lives in Vietnam. Both Bill and Elvis found this to be a very emotional subject, and didn’t want to discuss it with anyone else.

If I Can Dream was an appropriate song for the finale of the show, as it was Elvis’ appeal for peace and understanding.

Elvis asked me to include the story of If I Can Dream. His message was, “It is important to remember those that sacrificed their lives at that time. Forty years have passed since the Vietnam War ended, but If I Can Dream is still my hope for the world today.”

My communication and guidance from Elvis continues all the time, but no matter what message he brings, he always reminds me to focus on peace and love!

Copyright © 2015 by Eve A. Thomas www.eveathomas.com