Army Veteran Wins $1 Million in Lottery Game

A surgical technician and Army veteran from Glen Burnie on Monday claimed a $1 million Mega Millions prize from the Maryland Lottery.

The first million-dollar win in the game in Maryland this year came about because the Glen Burnie man -- who wants to remain anonymous -- was dog-sitting for his son in Carroll County. On his way home, the 51-year-old stopped at High’s in West Friendship for a snack, a drink and a Mega Millions ticket for the Aug. 4 drawing.

The man was on a lunch break when he saw a news story that a $1 million Mega Millions ticket was sold at the High’s store he’d visited several days earlier. After checking his wallet for the ticket the man searched his truck.

“I finally found it, and then I pulled out my phone and looked at the winning numbers, and I got the chills and the shakes,” he said in a news release.

As soon as he was off work, the winner dropped by his wife’s office to share their good fortune.

“I dropped to my knees and thanked God,” she said.

The winner, who served in the U.S. Army for 22 years, has four grandchildren and is an avid Washington Redskins fan.

Because he wished to remain anonymous about his Lottery win, the fan agreed to take a photo with his winner’s check made out to “HTTR Forever” in tribute to his team and the song “Hail to the Redskins.” He plans to pay off debt with his prize and save the rest for retirement.

“We’re still going to do more thinking about what we’ll do, but this is going to make things a little easier,” he said.

»Photo of lottery winner’s check made out to “HTTR Forever” in tribute to the song “Hail to the Redskins,” courtesy of Maryland Lottery