The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles has denied a Vietnam War veteran a license plate he requested with the number "69," signifying the year in which he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Spectrum reports. The number has sexual connotations.

According to the Spectrum, Arnold Breitenbach was a gunner on an armored personnel carrier. He received the Purple Heart in 1969 for hearing damage sustained during a rocket-propelled grenade attack. Breitenbach also received the Combat Infantryman's Badge—the full text of the license plate he requested was CIB-69.

Breitenbach's request was initially denied in November 2013. He appealed the decision.

"I figured in today's day and age, when President (Bill) Clinton can have all that stuff going on in the Oval Office and he says that what he did wasn't really sex with that woman, (it's odd) to be turned down because this is so offensive to the citizens of Utah," he told the Spectrum.

"While your intended meaning behind the requested plate, CIB-69, is honorable, the Division of Motor Vehicles is required to follow Utah law when approving personalized plates," DMV Audit Manager Sherri Murray wrote in 2013.

"Administrative Rule R873-22M-34 is clear regarding the use of '69' on personalized plates – '69' formats are prohibited unless used in a combination with the vehicle make, model, style, type, or commonly used or readily understood abbreviations of those terms."

Breitenbach's appeal was denied in January.

"They've got Viagra (ads) all over the place," the vet said. "I can't imagine myself sitting on the sofa with my parents when I was a little kid having something like that on TV. In today's day and age, it seems like everything is out in the open."

Image via Shutterstock. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.