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Marco...Polo

It actually comes from the battlefields of France in WWI. The Army 5th Division was sent into the trenches alongside French soldiers in June of 1918. Known as "The Red Diamonds" by friends and "Red Devils" by foes due to their diamond arm-patches. The Red Diamonds became famous in the trenches as they moved about in the darkness of night. As these things evolve, the soldiers developed a call and response cadence to detect live bodies: Call: "Marco"...Response: "Pollo".

Later in 1918 as the 5th Division went on the offensive and ended up taking more territory than any other division, they could be heard advancing across the soggy battlefields of France calling out "Marco"..."Polo". an interesting side note about the 5th. They were credited with being the first unit to shoot down an aeroplane from the ground during battle.

The Red Devils.

(In response to this post by mancunian)

Posted: 08/14/2020 at 8:01PM

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Current Thread:

Why is it “Marco...Polo”? -- mancunian 08/14/2020 2:07PM

Marco...Polo -- Newt 08/14/2020 8:01PM

Of course, I’m FOS... -- Newt 08/15/2020 12:02AM

In those days cologne covered up body odor, except here. ** -- MEHOKIE 08/14/2020 6:12PM

People would drown if it was Marco... -- MontyPythokie 08/14/2020 5:47PM

It’s now “man ... cunian” at the neighbor pool with the TV. ** -- B777Fr8Dog 08/14/2020 5:09PM

Abe didn't swim, the Babe is too big to hide, and i don't know about this-> -- HOKIERIT 08/14/2020 4:07PM

Could be Shaka Zulu since two syllables each. ** -- 133743Hokie 08/14/2020 3:55PM

Let's Go Hokies! ** -- TomTurkey 08/14/2020 5:23PM

"Stevie ... Wonder" seems more appropriate. ** -- Victor Tango 08/14/2020 3:44PM

Just don't try that at vt90's pool! ** -- Coach McGuirk 08/14/2020 4:40PM

I always heard Vasco Núñez de Balboa was 2nd choice. ** -- ColoVT82 08/14/2020 3:15PM

Spoken roots of the game, found in cave pools, were "Og - Og! Og - Og!"**** -- PhotoHokieNC 08/14/2020 3:44PM

Frodo ... Baggins ** -- WestyHokie 08/14/2020 3:09PM

It's how no one got lost if they wandered off from the original expedition ** -- HokieDan95 08/14/2020 2:50PM

No kidding? ** -- mancunian 08/14/2020 2:56PM

Yes kidding ** -- HokieDan95 08/14/2020 2:59PM

Well now I don't know what to think. ** -- mancunian 08/14/2020 3:21PM

Internet says Marco was separated from his family as a boy and when they -- Stork 08/14/2020 3:52PM

That's the same way they found Patty Hearst. ** -- PhotoHokieNC 08/14/2020 4:18PM

I made it up. Make for a good geico commercial no? ** -- HokieDan95 08/14/2020 3:23PM

Because that’s what the people who made up the game called it. ** -- BobG 08/14/2020 2:21PM

I would have gone with Vasco de Gama ** -- TexasGobbler 08/14/2020 2:22PM

Amerigo Vespucci ** -- HokieDan95 08/14/2020 2:51PM

Afonso de Albuquerque ** -- LonghornHokie 08/14/2020 3:51PM

Alfonso Ribeiro. ** -- KCHokie2 08/14/2020 8:30PM

Ferdinan....Magellan -- Riverguy 08/14/2020 8:41PM

He's no Pedro Álvares Cabral. ** -- Chris Coleman

08/14/2020 2:31PM

Have you seen Pedro's tweets from when he was an explorer scout? ** -- PhotoHokieNC 08/14/2020 3:57PM

I must have missed them. ** -- Chris Coleman

08/14/2020 8:47PM

Vote for Pedro! ** -- Vtskier1 08/14/2020 3:34PM

Or Chico Escuela, that's for sure. -- Stork 08/14/2020 2:38PM

That sounds more like what Parcheesi should be called. ** -- `lag 08/14/2020 2:26PM

Because Marco Polo was an explorer and the others weren't? -- Hokie360 08/14/2020 2:20PM

People always wondering -- YardBird 08/14/2020 2:22PM

He go round, round, round. ** -- IB4TECH 08/14/2020 3:30PM