Former marine hits jackpot on Veterans' Day

MIDDLEBORO, Mass. (WHDH) -- A former marine who purchased a scratch ticket on Veteran’s Day was stunned when he realized he had a winning ticket; one that made him $10 million richer.

“I had every emotion from crying to laughing. To every emotion you that you can have in your body,” said winner, Ed Santiago.

Santiago said he stared for five minutes at his winning ticket. He beat odds of one in 5 million after already winning $200 earlier that Sunday.

“I say what. He show me $10 million dollar ticket. I told him, ‘no, I can’t believe it,’” said the Middleboro Stop and Save clerk.

The big winner plans to spend the money on college for his three kids, including a son in the army who will deploy to Afghanistan after the holidays.

“This is life changing,” said Santiago. “For that to happen on Veterans’ Day, how joyful is that.”

The winning ticket has brought luck to the store owners as well. They said their lottery sales have jumped 40 percent.