Regarding the story about Gen Dangerfield, and his kindness leaving an impression. I oddly enough have a similar story regarding Gen Bell. I was a young Tpr assigned to pick up Gen Bell and his wife in a staff car at the Fredericton airport (I was C Sqn RCD at the time) for some Corps function or another. I was sweating bullets, as I had it impressed upon me the importance of a man such as the General.
When I picked him up, I snapped off what I'm sure is the finest and most nervous salute I have ever executed, opened his door, put his pennant on the vehicle,and drove at exactly the speed limit to base. Of course, that is 80 km/h, and the pennant almost flew off. Flustered, I had no clue as to whether I should slow down, stay the course, or lose the pennant. Gen Bell assumed command, suggested that I remove the flag until we get to base, and then replace it. Sensible enough.
Once on base, he directed me to take all the alcohol out of his suite (the Sqn was trying to brown-nose, and loaded his fridge) except for a 6-pack, or mickey, if memory serves, and distribute it to those who paid for it (the soldiers of the Sqn). He then had a picture taken of me with him and his wife, which is a tradition of theirs, I understand.
For such an important person as Gen Bell to put a young soldier at ease, and show that he is, after all, human above and beyond all the other descriptors, made me have that much more respect for him. Which was the polar opposite of some of the self-important jag-offs that I have "served" in similar roles, who can only wish they could be 1/100th the soldier that Gen Bell was.
That was an interesting trip down memory lane.....
I would say my top 2 NCO's would be Pete Wonderham, and Luc Rousseau. I don't think that I have met 2 people who cared half as much as they did about their soldiers. Rick Mercier (another man in my top 5) was another one that had a common character trait that Pete and Luc had: they let soldier's be soldier's, and if you screwed up, you paid. Not the whole Sqn, which is the way it seemed to go for such a long stretch (and still is to some degree, but better than it had been). Trust and mutual respect. That was when we had leader's, not "managers" and "supervisors". Any wonder that we have become like a corporation???
I'm sure that I'll think of a few more, but my collective memory doesn't go back as far as some of the old-timers here ( I remember when Donny Head and Bruse Montrose were only names I heard in the saga's of yore about the Rhein and the North Marg.... then I met them. Somewhat of a letdown to meet a "legend", to discover that they weren't 6ft8in, barrel-chested with a diamond in their tooth.....) No doubt some of my contemporaries and their exploits are talked about in such breathless tones as I heard about Bruce and Donny. I'm getting old.....
Al