World War IV.
World War III was the Cold War with the USSR and we gave out medals for those who participated in it. It ran nearly 50 years.
WW III was a proxy war between the US and Russia with many poor countries in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America filling in for the two powers. #4 won’t be so lucky for either country.
...the American Revolution was also a world war. With the American victory at Saratoga in 1778, France entered the war on the American side. The French wanted to avenge its defeat in 1763 at the hands of the British in the Seven Years' War. It had been secretly supplying the Americans with military supplies since 1775 awaiting an opportunity to side openly with the revolting Americans. By 1780, both Holland and Spain joined the French and Americans. (The Spanish, it is true, were a little hesitant to make war against another colonial power, but the possibility of destroying British trade hegemony was too powerful to resist. The Spanish monarchy would regret its decision in the nineteenth century when its own colonies would revolt citing the American example). With their seafaring fleets, America's European allies attacked British possessions in the West Indies, Africa, and India, thus spreading the war over the face of the globe.
See also "The First Salute" by Barbara Tuchman.
Somehow General Hix slept though WW-III. We lost almost 100,000 KIA in that NOT cold war.
WWIV already started, 9/11.