Dave Richards of Calgary joined the armed forces shortly after unification and wore the standard green uniform when it was relatively unknown.

On one of his first leaves, he was in downtown Victoria waiting for a bus. As he tells it: “An older man at the stop looked in my direction several times and I was sure he was admiring my snappy new uniform and the shiny gold stripe denoting my status as an officer cadet. Finally, he came over to me and asked: ‘What time does the 112 arrive, driver?’

Deflated, I replied: ‘Actually, I’m an officer cadet in the armed forces.’

He immediately assumed an expression of sympathy and said: ‘Oh, is the pay so bad that you have to moonlight as a bus driver?’”