// Testimonial
May 9, 2026
Some stories deserve to be preserved because they represent far more than a career — they reflect a lifetime of service, sacrifice, reinvention, and purpose.
Lonny’s story is one of those journeys.
Over the years, Lonny has trusted Excalibur Industries to create two custom challenge coins honoring different chapters of his life and military service. Behind those coins is a remarkable story that spans Special Forces service in Southeast Asia, a distinguished medical career, and a lifelong passion for exploration and nature.
Lonny began his military career as a Green Beret serving with the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg before later deploying to Thailand with the 1st Special Forces Group. During his time in Southeast Asia, he also served with the legendary 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand — known throughout the Special Forces community as “The Original Good Deal.”
The 46th Special Forces Company played a unique and important role during the Vietnam era, working closely with Thai forces and supporting unconventional warfare operations throughout the region. For many Special Forces veterans, the unit remains an important part of Green Beret history and the early operational footprint of Special Forces in Southeast Asia.
One of the photographs included in the Excalibur Archive shows Team A-432, Company D, 1st Special Forces Group in Lopburi, Thailand in October 1966. Lonny is pictured second from the right in the bottom row alongside fellow Green Berets during a defining period of Special Forces history.
Following his service in Thailand, Lonny deployed to Vietnam where he served with 5th Special Forces Group as a Special Forces Medic, including assignments with A-251 and the legendary II Corps Mike Force. During the Vietnam War, Mike Force units became known for rapid-response operations, combat deployments, and close relationships with indigenous forces throughout the region. For many Green Berets, Mike Force service represented some of the most demanding and dangerous missions of the war.
Another photograph preserved in the Archive captures Lonny in Hua Hin, Thailand in 1969 after returning from Vietnam while waiting for the King and Queen of Thailand.
But Lonny’s story did not end after Special Forces.
After completing his military service, he entered an entirely different chapter of life and eventually became an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Heart Surgery Division at the USC School of Medicine. His career in medicine reflected the same commitment to precision, discipline, and service that defined his years as a Green Beret medic.
Following retirement from medicine, Lonny once again reinvented himself. He completed the University of Nevada, Reno Extension Naturalist program and began extensive exploration and photographic documentation of flora and fauna throughout Nevada and many other locations around the world. Through photography and travel, he continues to document the natural world with the same curiosity and dedication that shaped his earlier careers.
From Green Beret…
to Special Forces medic…
to heart surgeon…
to naturalist and explorer…
Lonny’s life reflects a remarkable commitment to service, learning, and discovery across multiple generations and professions.
At Excalibur Industries, stories like this are exactly why the Excalibur Archive exists. These coins are more than commemorative pieces of metal — they preserve experiences, friendships, service, and memories that deserve to be remembered and shared with future generations.
We are honored to help preserve Lonny’s story as part of the growing Excalibur Archive. The Excalibur Archive exists to help preserve these stories before they are lost to time. Every challenge coin represents a chapter of service, sacrifice, brotherhood, and history connected to the individuals and teams who carried them. Through photographs, memories, and commemorative artwork, these stories continue to live on for future generations to discover and remember.
You can preserve your history too.
