Just back from a tour of duty in Iraq, a Norwood, Massachusetts National Guardsman was welcomed home by Lady Luck - netting $140,000 a year for life from a state Lottery scratch ticket.
John A. Morrissey, 42, says the Massachusetts Lottery Lifetime Spectacular windfall will blast him out of bankruptcy, and help put his daughter through college.
"I always had faith that I'd hit it big," Morrissey said in an exclusive Herald interview.
And hit it big is just what he did after stopping by his neighborhood store, Pam's Market in Norwood, to buy his $10 scratch ticket.
"It's just incredible," Morrissey said. "`That's the real deal. One of those rags to riches. I was married and I got divorced. And I had to file bankruptcy. Then after that years went on. I went to Iraq and then I came home and got lucky."
The lottery ticket hit will deliver $200,000 a year for life, and Morrissey is set to collect his first $140,000 after-tax payment today from State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill.
A member of the 110th Maintenance Company, a unit of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, Morrissey returned from a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq five weeks ago and went back to work as a shipper for Telco Systems in Mansfield, where he has worked for seven years.
Morrissey, who served at the Tallil air base outside Nazariyah, said he expected his tour to last six months. His job was to supply troops with vehicle parts.
"Life was tough over there," Morrissey said. "I didn't come close to combat, but there were times that we had to be locked and loaded and ready to go."
Now that he's struck it rich - his estate is guaranteed at least $4 million under the Lottery jackpot - Morrissey stressed that nothing compares to coming home from an extended tour in Iraq to see his family, including 17-year-old daughter, Ashley, and his 14-year-old son, Matthew.
"We got home and it's just been an emotional roller coaster," Morrissey said. "`I can't even describe it - just being with my kids and my family." Morrissey said he plans to keep working, for now, while he makes future plans.
"I want to do the right thing, which is not spend this money foolishly and go out and invest it, so later on I can enjoy my life," Morrissey said.
"I don't want to consider myself a lucky Irishman. I just want to say it's been a rough go of it through my life. And I guess I've been lucky enough to be lucky. The biggest thing is to send my daughter to college.
Source:Boston Herald
John A. Morrissey, 42, says the Massachusetts Lottery Lifetime Spectacular windfall will blast him out of bankruptcy, and help put his daughter through college.
"I always had faith that I'd hit it big," Morrissey said in an exclusive Herald interview.
And hit it big is just what he did after stopping by his neighborhood store, Pam's Market in Norwood, to buy his $10 scratch ticket.
"It's just incredible," Morrissey said. "`That's the real deal. One of those rags to riches. I was married and I got divorced. And I had to file bankruptcy. Then after that years went on. I went to Iraq and then I came home and got lucky."
The lottery ticket hit will deliver $200,000 a year for life, and Morrissey is set to collect his first $140,000 after-tax payment today from State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill.
A member of the 110th Maintenance Company, a unit of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, Morrissey returned from a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq five weeks ago and went back to work as a shipper for Telco Systems in Mansfield, where he has worked for seven years.
Morrissey, who served at the Tallil air base outside Nazariyah, said he expected his tour to last six months. His job was to supply troops with vehicle parts.
"Life was tough over there," Morrissey said. "I didn't come close to combat, but there were times that we had to be locked and loaded and ready to go."
Now that he's struck it rich - his estate is guaranteed at least $4 million under the Lottery jackpot - Morrissey stressed that nothing compares to coming home from an extended tour in Iraq to see his family, including 17-year-old daughter, Ashley, and his 14-year-old son, Matthew.
"We got home and it's just been an emotional roller coaster," Morrissey said. "`I can't even describe it - just being with my kids and my family." Morrissey said he plans to keep working, for now, while he makes future plans.
"I want to do the right thing, which is not spend this money foolishly and go out and invest it, so later on I can enjoy my life," Morrissey said.
"I don't want to consider myself a lucky Irishman. I just want to say it's been a rough go of it through my life. And I guess I've been lucky enough to be lucky. The biggest thing is to send my daughter to college.
Source:Boston Herald
