WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – An Army Veteran from Westfield is leading a petition drive to upgrade the recognition for nearly 100,000 of his Massachusetts comrades he describes as Cold War Veterans.

Ken Jimenez who served in the Army from 1981 to 1983, believes these men and women put themselves in harms way, facing armed conflict throughout the globe at a time when there was no World War. He’s suggested a special license plate for each of these American combatants, calling attention to their service during times of conflict.

If you are interested in supporting the special license plate recognition for Massachusetts Cold War Veterans, you can sign the petition on change.org. The petition currently has more than 4,000 signatures.