This lottery winning story is extra special when you consider the winner is a veteran who won his prize around Veterans Day.

Yaheem Jones is a former combat engineer in the Marines. He bought a few $10 Red Hot Riches tickets from a supermarket in North Carolina then put them in a bag and flew to Denver.

Jones almost forgot he had the tickets. He found them while cleaning out the bag in Denver. Jones said he scratched the tickets, and one revealed the $1 million jackpot.

He told North Carolina Education Lottery officials, “At first, I didn’t believe it, I thought it was a joke.”

Jones said flying back to North Carolina from Denver with his winning ticket was “nerve-racking“ saying he didn't take his hand out of his pocket, "not one whole time!”

He told officials that the money will "help a lot" saying he will put the money into savings.

Jones could have taken the $1 million as a 20-year annuity of $50,000 or as a lump sum payment of $600,000. He chose the lump sum and after all taxes, he took home $424,000.

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