Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Arnold's Austrian Military Record Raises Questions [AWOL]
KTVU.com ^ | 09/19/03

Posted on 09/19/2003 3:13:26 PM PDT by gubamyster

POSTED: 7:51 a.m. PDT September 19, 2003

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- At a time when the world was enveloped in the Cold War, Austrian teenagers were required to spend at least one year in the military. Among those young men was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Now, a decision he made in those days may come back to haunt him during his recall campaign to replace Gray Davis.

KTVU has learned that the actor turned candidate went AWOL from the Austrian Army when he was 18 years old. Schwarzenegger climbed over a wall and attended a body building competition without permission from his superiors. He was imprisoned for seven days in a military stockade.

When asked about the incident at a campaign stop in Sacramento on Thursday, Schwarzenegger chose to let spokesman Sean Walsh speak for him.

"He broke the rules and he was punished for breaking the rules," Walsh said. "Some kids jay walk, some kids drive too fast and some kids break some infractions…He was a young, young man."

The revelation is just the latest incident involving Schwarzenegger, who also has been linked to smoking marijuana as a young man and also a magazine piece in which he admitted to using women merely for sex. U.C. Berkeley Political Scientist Jack Citrin said characater questions are becoming a growing problem for Schwarzenegger.

"You're talking about a person who's entire campaign to become governor is predicated upon his personal qualities," Citrin said. "His personal character, his strength, his ability to stand up to pressure…his willingness to do his duty. And so any news that chips away at that image is bound to have potential political consequences."

While admitting it was a serious violation, Austrian Consul General Donald Burns downplayed the incident.

"When his commanding officer found out about what had happened (Arnold won the competition) he said 'This is so good for the army, you can now train as an official part of your military experience.'"

Copyright 2003 by KTVU.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: arnold; awol; recall; schwarzenegger
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-95 next last
To: gubamyster
While admitting it was a serious violation, Austrian Consul General Donald Burns downplayed the incident. "When his commanding officer found out about what had happened (Arnold won the competition) he said 'This is so good for the army, you can now train as an official part of your military experience.'"
21 posted on 09/19/2003 3:27:15 PM PDT by finnman69 (!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone
You got to love the fact that as Americans we were working hard and paying billions in taxes to protect Europe from the Soviets and the only respect for our efforts was that Arnold could show what to run off to hang our with a bunch of Euro-Girly-Man-Body-Builders.
22 posted on 09/19/2003 3:29:25 PM PDT by jsbankston
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone
LOL!

Tonights version of the CA recall circular firing squad begins again.

23 posted on 09/19/2003 3:31:17 PM PDT by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: All
LOL, he went AWOL to go compete in a body building competition.
24 posted on 09/19/2003 3:32:08 PM PDT by pepperhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah; Dog Gone
Or the time Arnold jaywalked......film at 11.
25 posted on 09/19/2003 3:34:41 PM PDT by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
he was also busted for possession of an Ayn Rand book when he was only 16!
26 posted on 09/19/2003 3:35:23 PM PDT by Republicus2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
I don't think Arnold is a Communist.
27 posted on 09/19/2003 3:35:37 PM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog; Dog Gone
The Davis oppo research time is pulling a lot of OT digging up dirt on Arnold.

I'm gonna wait until the week before the election--whenever THAT is--for the *real* dirt to come out.

28 posted on 09/19/2003 3:36:27 PM PDT by Catspaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: big_fat_idiot
Is goat-yodeling even legal?

Well, it would be in California!

29 posted on 09/19/2003 3:37:19 PM PDT by Grut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
This is another serious violation of Austrian law for which Arnold should be made accountable.

Arnold should be forced to do 50 push-ups, and 50 sit-ups for this terrible infraction...,,,...,,,...what's that you say? this was when he was 18? and he's done 100's of thousands of push-ups and sit-ups?

CASE CLOSED...another non-issue brought to you by your friends at the Davis/Cruz camp.

DD

30 posted on 09/19/2003 3:37:34 PM PDT by DiamondDon1 (Official Tombot, Member VRWC)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TopQuark
AWOL from the barracks in peacetime. *yawn*

31 posted on 09/19/2003 3:37:36 PM PDT by Britton J Wingfield (TANSTAAFL)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
Frankly, I don't care about this. What concerns me more is that Arnold is AWOL from the GOP platform and conservative ideology.
32 posted on 09/19/2003 3:38:13 PM PDT by B Knotts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog
Or the time Arnold jaywalked......film at 11.

Oh no, if they have film, he's DOOMED.

33 posted on 09/19/2003 3:38:54 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: All
People on this site better wise up and stop attacking the other candidate and start working together or Bustanante is going to win.

And no I won't shut up because I'm not a CA resident and can't vote.......I'm a member of FR who is tired of seeing this daily ritual of tearing each other apart......as the election to unseat Davis slips away.

34 posted on 09/19/2003 3:39:19 PM PDT by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
The dems are doing their opposition research by reading Arnold's book The Education of a Bodybuilder.

While I am not on board the Arnold bandwagon, this is a relatively minor thing.

35 posted on 09/19/2003 3:40:00 PM PDT by LouD (Official GOP Vigilante: Fair and Honest Elections - Or Else!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: B Knotts
Frankly, I don't care about this. What concerns me more is that Arnold is AWOL from the GOP platform and conservative ideology.

I agree, but news is news.

36 posted on 09/19/2003 3:40:12 PM PDT by gubamyster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Catspaw
The Davis oppo research time is pulling a lot of OT digging up dirt on Arnold.

Not really. See my post above. Arnold related the story in a book he wrote in the 1980s.

37 posted on 09/19/2003 3:41:40 PM PDT by LouD (Official GOP Vigilante: Fair and Honest Elections - Or Else!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
I hear ya. I didn't mean to say that you shouldn't have posted it; I'm just saying that his positions are the bigger problem.
38 posted on 09/19/2003 3:41:40 PM PDT by B Knotts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
This is a non-issue.

More importantly, I think a candidate for governor of the largest state in the union, should be engaging in debates with his political opponents, show he's a fiscal conservative and take a no tax pledge, and not wait until after the recall election is over, to release some specifics of his economic recovery plan. Any good conservatiuve candidate would take such actions, if he/she was a real fiscal conservative. Arnold keeps proving he's not a real conservative and for good reason. Arnold is a liberal RINO.

39 posted on 09/19/2003 3:41:42 PM PDT by Reagan Man (The few, the proud, the conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gubamyster
This isn't news this is getting in the mud.....what next Arnold .....pulled the poytails of the little girl sitting ahead of him in second grade.

The attacks on McClintock are vile also.....you all need to pull together out there.

40 posted on 09/19/2003 3:42:29 PM PDT by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-95 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson