kBob
Member
An unqualified Shooter in the US Army in my day was called a “Bolo” and not promotable.
The Marksman’s Qualification badge ( lowest qualification level) was also called the “Bolo Badge”
So….. where did you hear the term came from?
Keith Laumer wrote a series of stories about AI controlled “tanks” that only required a human in the system to make moral or judgment calls that he called Bolos.
(Interestingly his first AI Tank had no human and was called Ogre…. and it would seem we are there on the battlefield of 2024)
Best That I Know he never explained where he got the name, though it was certainly later than its use in the US Army.
I was given to understand that it came from the Philippines Campaign following the Spanish American war.
Supposedly US Army troops training local Philippine Forces had only limited Rifles and ammo to give their new charges.
Supposedly after a brief period of instruction on rifle use the Philippine volunteer was given a rifle and a very few rounds of ammunition and told to shoot at a near by target.
Those that proved to be the worst shots were awarded a large “Bolo” knife for use as a machete for brush clearing or close range weapon and their rifle rifle taken away for someone else to try.
Interestingly half a century later Fidel Castro in Cuba would issue his folks that could not hit a wall of a barn from inside a Machete and take their rifle away for someone that might more effectively use it. Ever the PR guy Fidel made speeches about the strong hearts of the Machetero of his command and their important role in the success of the Revolution.
So Bolos were those that got a bolo because they could not shoot to the minimum standard in the Philippines and so were issued a Bolo Knife. US units returning to “the Interior” of the US brought the title for useless gun bearers with them.
So what did you hear, Bolo?
-kBob
The Marksman’s Qualification badge ( lowest qualification level) was also called the “Bolo Badge”
So….. where did you hear the term came from?
Keith Laumer wrote a series of stories about AI controlled “tanks” that only required a human in the system to make moral or judgment calls that he called Bolos.
(Interestingly his first AI Tank had no human and was called Ogre…. and it would seem we are there on the battlefield of 2024)
Best That I Know he never explained where he got the name, though it was certainly later than its use in the US Army.
I was given to understand that it came from the Philippines Campaign following the Spanish American war.
Supposedly US Army troops training local Philippine Forces had only limited Rifles and ammo to give their new charges.
Supposedly after a brief period of instruction on rifle use the Philippine volunteer was given a rifle and a very few rounds of ammunition and told to shoot at a near by target.
Those that proved to be the worst shots were awarded a large “Bolo” knife for use as a machete for brush clearing or close range weapon and their rifle rifle taken away for someone else to try.
Interestingly half a century later Fidel Castro in Cuba would issue his folks that could not hit a wall of a barn from inside a Machete and take their rifle away for someone that might more effectively use it. Ever the PR guy Fidel made speeches about the strong hearts of the Machetero of his command and their important role in the success of the Revolution.
So Bolos were those that got a bolo because they could not shoot to the minimum standard in the Philippines and so were issued a Bolo Knife. US units returning to “the Interior” of the US brought the title for useless gun bearers with them.
So what did you hear, Bolo?
-kBob
