An Army veteran from Fayetteville, Georgia, won a quarter million dollars in the Georgia Lottery days before his return to Afghanistan.
Gregg Curry, a father of three and a master sergeant with the Third U.S. Army Forces Central Command, bought a winning Cool Cash ticket while stopping to buy a bottle of water with his wife, Mary, lottery officials said Friday.
Curry, 47, returns to Afghanistan today. He was home for two weeks from Bagram Airfield, where he's been stationed for seven months. He'll be in Afghanistan another five months.
He told lottery officials that he plans to use his $250,000 to pay bills and take a vacation after his tour.
"We're excited. We're happy," said Curry.
Curry bought his at the Kwickie/Flash at 973 Highway 54 in Fayetteville.
Another man, Gerald DiFatta, 65, of Grayson, won $264,955, three days after buying a ticket on his birthday that returned $3.
"I almost didn't play," DiFatta told lottery officials. "I went past the store and turned around to get a ticket."
DiFatta bought his Quik Pik ticket at Monroe Shell, 1880 Highway 138 N.W. in Monroe.
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
Thanks to truesee for the tip.
Glad to see a military man win.
They should make it tax free for our armed forces.
I agree, but I do think it should be tax free for everyone !
Just think how the extra spending would DIRECTLY IMPACT the economy !
I hope that this money will help his family !
A great story !
That is fantastic! I'm happy to see a servicemember win also. Outstanding!
What a great story, congrats to Mr. Curry.
I agree with that but the guy we got in there now wants to raise taxes, not lower them.
And now he's got us in another war.
Thank God for soldiers like this Afghanistan vet who go off and do the job he wouldn't have the cojones to do.
This win should help the remaining time fly by...hope he returns home safe and sound to enjoy his good fortune.
From a Navy man who served 12 months boots-on-ground in Iraq last year.....you had good luck in winning, now may you have
Godspeed in returning home to your fam!
rdgrnr, have you ever served in the service?
This is not a political post, this is the lottery post. Why do you come on here and talk about politics all the time? If you have something to say say it on Huffington Post where you will be challenge.
This subject moved you to become a member today? That's special. What do you think of Gregg?
CONGRAT$$$$$!!!!!
They should make it tax free for all Americans.
Taxing taxes. That's what we're doing. It's kinda like saying "Oh you paid 3000 dollars in property taxes, well we're going to have to put a sales tax on that property tax. So now you're paying 3000 dollars and 210 dollars for paying that tax." Except you don't HAVE to play lottery, while you do have to pay property tax (if your state/town has it)
I guess it's more like "we're going to keep half the tax, give out half, and tax the half we give out"
George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Dwight Eisnehower. And I'll count Teddy Roosevelt just because he got shot and then gave a 90 minute speech. That's all I thought of off the top of my head, geez it's been a while since we've had a President who could show some spine and get involved directly in conflicts they saw as necessary - or try to do something to stop unneccessarry conflicts.
And even if you've got no problem with making an "even playing field" for the Libyan rebels, you must admit that the way the President went through with it is completely unconstiutional. Just because our last president had no real Republican principles, and we disagree with this one's "principles" doens't mean it becomes Republican VS. Democrat, as it SEEMS you're assuming it is. It's not.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant about politics. I'll shut up now.
I think Gregg Curry is a model citizen. He deserve his lottery win, and I also think that the service members should have tax exemptions,and they shouldn't have to pay taxes, after all they risk their life protecting us and the U.S.
I am not political but I do know from personal finances that when I want to pay off my credit card bills I work overtime and spend less on things that I dont really need like going to the movies or clothes shopping.
I hate to be taxed highly when the federal government keeps spending money on things that Americans dont really need. Oh and I also hate those people that cheat and get disability and social security checks and all of us each know those kinds of people in our lives.
George Herbert Walker Bush.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Bush decided to join the US Navy,[1] so after graduating from Phillips Academy earlier in 1942,[4] he became a naval aviator at the age of 18.[3] After completing the 10-month course, he was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve at Corpus Christi, Texas on June 9, 1943, just three days before his 19th birthday, which made him the youngest naval aviator to that date.[1]
He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron (VT-51) as the photographic officer in September 1943.[1] The following year, his squadron was based on the USS San Jacinto as a member of Air Group 51, where his lanky physique earned him the nickname 'Skin'.[5] During this time, the task force was victorious in one of the largest air battles of World War II: the Battle of the Philippine Sea.[1]
After Bush's promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade) on August 1, the San Jacintocommenced operations against the Japanese in the Bonin Islands. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that attacked the Japanese installations on Chichijima.[6] His crew for the mission, which occurred on September 2, 1944, included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White.[1] During their attack, the Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire; Bush's aircraft was hit by flak[7] and his engine caught on fire.[1] Despite his plane being on fire, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits.[1] With his engine afire, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft;[7] the other man's parachute did not open.[1] It has not been determined which man bailed out with Bush[1] as both Delaney and White were killed as a result of the battle.[7] Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead until he was rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback.[1] For the next month he remained on theFinback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots.
Bush subsequently returned to San Jacintoin November 1944 and participated in operations in the Philippines[1] until his squadron was replaced and sent home to the United States. Through 1944, he flew 58 combat missions[7] for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to San Jacinto.[1]
Because of his valuable combat experience, Bush was reassigned to Norfolk Navy Base and put in a training wing for new torpedo pilots. He was later assigned as a naval aviator in a new torpedo squadron, VT-153. Upon the Japanese surrender in 1945, Bush was honorably discharged in September of that year.
Interesting post and comments here. Lucky guy to win such fortune.
Well now, yes I have sonny boy, how about you?
HuffandPuff Post? You gotta be kidding.
They ain't got the cojones either.
Kinda like you, no doubt.
I am not a sonny boy. I am female, and I have not serve.
You wouldn't be able to handle the debate on huffpost, so this is why you come to lottery post to whine because no one here will challenge you.
Well baby sister, no offense but you might understand better if you had served.
Sometimes there's just a little twinge of resentment when being told to do something by a boss who you know would never do it himself.
It's kinda like the old saying: You don't play the game - You don't make the rules.
A girlyman like your idol could never hack it anyway.
He ain't got the cojones.
I've been on HuffandPuff, baby sister. Believe me, I can handle it.
If you're impressed by those mantra-chanting morons, well, you're easily impressed, baby sister.
How juvenile of you to call the POTUS "girlyman." Is that all you have is name calling?
I call em like I see em.
He'a a girlyman.
And he ain't got the cojones.