71-year-old retired Marine wins $50k on lottery scratch off ticket

Phil Stilton

FORT WASHINGTON, MD – An elderly Devil Dog who played the game of hurry up and wait for 22 years has had some good luck in the form of a winning lottery ticket.

A 71-year-old man from Fort Washington remained unfazed by his time as a globe-trotting U.S. Marine as he came close to hitting the floor in disbelief after winning $50,002 with a quick-pick ticket in the Bonus Match 5 game.

The hard charging senior citizen encountered a stroke of luck at F & W Convenience at 974 East Swan Creek Road in Fort Washington.

On a recent Thursday morning, he purchased a two-draw ticket for May 4-5, and it was on May 5 when he discovered his life-changing fortune.


Initially, the Prince George’s County finest believed he had won only $400 upon checking his ticket. However, something prompted him to take a second look, leading him to scan the ticket using his Lottery mobile app.


As a Marine, the leatherneck had seen a lot during his time and never flinched. Now, he was shocked.

“I nearly fell out of my chair,” the elated winner recalled.

He discovered that he had won $50,000 on one line of the ticket and $2 on another.

Having retired from the Marines in 1992 after dedicating 22 years of service, the lucky winner hasn’t made any specific plans for his windfall yet, but he intends to save the money for now.

It is likely that he is longer in the market for 25% interest Ford Mustang, but a trip to the local VFW or Marine Corps league is not out of the question to brag about his winning to the boots at the bar.

The Lottery retailer in Prince George’s County also has cause for celebration. F & W Convenience will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning Bonus Match 5 ticket. This marks the 13th top-prize winning ticket sold in the Bonus Match 5 game in 2023.

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