Navy veteran wins $3 million in Powerball drawing on Veterans Day

CLIVE, Iowa (Gray News) – A Navy veteran from Iowa lucked out on Veterans Day, winning $3 million of the Powerball jackpot drawing from that night’s Powerball drawing.

Jaime Zavala claimed his winnings Tuesday at the Iowa Lottery’s main office. His ticket matched the first five numbers in the Nov. 11 drawing but missed the $900 million jackpot by just one number.

Regardless, Zavala said he was most excited about life without a mortgage payment.

After paying off his home, Zavala told lottery officials he plans to invest the bulk of his winnings and upgrade his 10-year-old pickup truck.

His ticket was just one of three in the country to win a prize of $3 million or more in that drawing.

Lottery officials said a ticket purchased in New York also won $3 million and a ticket in Arizona won $5 million.