about us - LCdr David lewis, msm, cd (retired)
This is Us
This is us, Lieutenant-Commander David Lewis (Ret'd) and Sherrie my wonderful military wife of almost 40 years.
I just recently retired as a Public Affairs Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy but my military career began with US Army Basic Training at Harmony Church, Ft. Benning, Georgia, followed by Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) at Benning. We were then posted to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Division in Mainz, West-Germany where we spent much of the 1980s. It is a long and eventful story which brings us here.
My credentials from my service in the Canadian Armed Forces includes The Meritorious Service Medal, The General Campaign Star–South-West Asia, Commander Canadian Army Commendation, Canadian Forces' Decoration, and The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal . (References below)
We are the proud empty-nest parents of 5 great kids, all of whom are off doing their own thing (one of whom is also in the Royal Canadian Navy). Our daughter Jerusha just recently blessed us with our first perfect little bundle of beauty, our grand-daughter Elizabeth Grace.
On my retirement in Mid-2019, we explored various opportunities to create a small craft business from our home. Our requirements were simply that it must be military related, and it must give back a percentage to veterans charities. We looked at small roast coffee companies, but that niche market already has a few solid players. We explored other options.
In a seaside gift-shop on holidays I happened to smell a Chai candle. It immediately brought me back to tasting my first Chai at the 'Green Bean' on Camp Eggers in Kabul in 2011. The memories rolled in from my Afghan deployment and the various scents involved (some good, others... not so much). The idea stuck with me. What if we created a line of scented candles which could be enjoyed by all, but would be of unique reference to anyone that has ever served in any branch of the military.
We have received overwhelming interest and support from family and friends. Suggested scents have rolled in from active duty and retired members across Canada and the United States. We continue to spend long hours working on formulas and mixtures for our unique scents.
We hope you like our product. The candles are made with paraffin wax and our colours and scents as it hold up best, retaining colour and scent.
10% of all net sales from all our military candles are donated to veterans charities or organization. As I am a veteran of both the US Army and the Canadian Navy our US labeled candles raise support for US military charities, and our Canadian labeled candles for Canadian veteran charities. Some of the ones we chose to support are listed in the 'Giving Back' section of the website. We also chose to work with and support as many veterans/youth/military organizations as possible. We will custom design a scent and label to assist in fundraising efforts of these organizations as well as give back $4 of the $14 candle price for every candle they sell.
Feel free to touch base with us if you manage a gift shop, or kit shop which might be a good venue. We are already preparing wholesale orders for some of these venues. We do hope to have our candles available across the country as well as from our website.
And please feel free to like our social media platforms, and to share us with your friends.
We look forward to hearing from you
David and Sherrie Lewis
More about me personally and professionally at
References:
While attached to the Ceremonial Guard of the Canadian Armed Forces / National Sentry Program on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 2014 and in the aftermath of the 22 October shooting of Corporal Cirillo, Lieutenant (Navy) Lewis demonstrated outstanding professionalism and dedication to excellence.
- Lieutenant-General J.M.M. Hainse, Commander Canadian Army (on presentation of Commander Canadian Army Commendation)
Lt(N) David Lewis was the PAO for the Ceremonial Guard/National Sentry Program for the 2014 and the 2015 season. He was instrumental in getting the right message, under the right conditions communicated. He provided valuable and ongoing sound advice to both Cpl Stevenson and Cpl Button - both members who were on the site at the time of the shooting - to deal with the constant requests for interviews; he was key in counselling Cpl Stevenson in preparing a media statement that was very well received; and he worked to prioritize the massive requests for information and interviews into manageable and predictable outcomes for myself and other that faced the media.
- Major M. Lavigne, Commanding Officer, Ceremonial Guard of the CAF
SLt Lewis is creative and keen to promote change, constantly looking ahead for new and unique ways to advance the mission. He has effortlessly functioned within the demands of the operational environment and has produced a body of work that is fully in line with the expectations of a three-star HQ. His leadership abilities are excellent, as his management of a multi-service, multi-national team aptly demonstrates.
- Lieutenant Colonel T. M. Stauffer, US ARMY, NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan
Lt(N) David Lewis is a consummate professional and skilled public affairs officer. While serving together in the NATO Training Mission- Afghanistan public affairs office, I had the opportunity to observe his remarkable intellect and strategic accumen. David ran a tightly organized shop. His planning skills and vast operational experience made him an invaluable asset. David Lewis has my highest recommendation.
- Lt(N) Aaron Kakiel, PAO, Submarine Group 7, CTF 74, CTF 54, US Navy
SLt Lewis' performance during deployment was assessed as mastered. His verbal skills were excellent, as evidenced by his ability to relay complex instructions to a diverse staff. He marshalled the minimal resources available very effectively while holding himself to the highest level of accountability and reliability to all statements made on behalf of NTM-A. His ethics and values were of the highest standard, leading his staff by example. He was also very quick to ensure that his team as a whole, received the plaudits for their work. SLt Lewis conducted himself in a manner that set an example for others and presented himself as an officer who expected the highest quality of work. He was an important asset to NTM-A Public Affairs, marked by skill, innovation, dedication and meritorious achievement.
- Major E. J. H. Stewart, PAO, Deputy Director NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan
I would like to express my appreciation to SLt Lewis' for his exceptional efforts during Operation LUSTRE. This operation was of immense importance to the people of Manitoba and SLt Lewis played a key staff role in his capacity as Public Affairs Officer for the Maritime Component Commander. Specifically, and at extreme short notice, he joined the MCC and immediately developed a public affairs plan and proactively engaged with local, regional and national media to ensure that the contributions of our sailors was captured and reported to Canadians across the country. He also worked tirelessly to ensure proactive internal CF messaging and produced several well-crafted articles for MAPLE LEAF and LOOKOUT. Throughout, he demonstrated stellar professional attributes and contributed significantly to the positive media coverage received during OP LUSTRE.
- Captain (Navy) P. V. Dempsey, Maritime Component Commander, OP LUSTRE
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