Soldier Wins $1 Million, Heads Back to Iraq

Posted yesterday by mlh in World | 17 comments | 201 views

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Color him any color you want, but make sure you use Red, White and Blue. Though he hit the Jackpot, Sgt. Wayne Leyde, a newly made millionaire, will be heading back to Iraq to serve a third tour of duty. He used a lucky coin to scratch his winning ticket.

As ABC News reports:

Leyde was driving near his home in Mead, Washington when he stopped at a store on the side of the road and bought a ticket.

"I decided to walk into a local Zip Trip. I got a Coke and beef jerky and walked up to the counter and thought I'd pick up a few scratch tickets and try my luck. I was on my way out when the lady said, 'Do you have a lucky scratch coin?'

Little did he know.

Sgt Leyde said that he has made a commitment to return to Iraq for a third tour and he said that he will honor that commitment.

As ABC News reports:

"It was a commitment I made about three months ago. I'm going to stick to it," Leyde said about his decision.

He said that even though the housing costs in his area have increased quite a bit, he has no intentions of spending his newly acquired $1 million.