8/3/2019 Wounded vets cheer for their hero J.R. Martinez (Part 2)

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up bilingual; his moher is rom El Salvador.

I’s J.R.’s inriguing and inspiring per-

sonal sory o survival ha immediaely

draws people o him—ha and his inec-

ous personaliy, o course. Inspired by he

commercials on TV, J.R. joined he U.S.

Army in 2003, a age 19. Tragedy sruck

when, saoned in Iraq or jus a ew

weeks, his Humvee hi a landmine.

Trapped inside he vehicle as his ellow

soldiers escaped, he Humvee became en-

guled in flames. Alhough J.R. was rescued

and survived, more han 40 percen o his

body was seriously burned. Transpored o

a hospial in San Anonio, Texas, he under-

wen more han 30 surgeries, leaving him

depressed, scared, and unmovaed. “I saw

Freddy Krueger,” he said, when he firs

looked in a mirror afer five weeks in he

hospial. Encouraged by his moher and

he hospial saff, J.R. gradually began alking

o oher burn vicms and realized he had a

knack or movaonal speaking. He conn-

ued vising burn vicms and injured soldiers

a miliary bases around he counry.

“I me J.R. in 2004, when he was already

ou o he hospial and undergoing oupa-

en care,” says his close riend Daniel Var-

gas o San Anonio, Texas. Daniel is he

Execuve Direcor o Operaon FINALLY

HOME, a program ha provides cusom-

made homes o wounded and disabled

veerans as well as o widows o he allen

o help hem ge heir lives back on rack.

He operaes he organizaon ou o New

Braunels, Texas, and J.R. has suppored

him ever since he joined he organizaon

wo years ago.

Daniel says he “eared up” when he saw

his riend on he cover o People. “The cover

phoo was jus so J.R.—smiling and confi-

den. He used o joke ha he was a guinea

pig or he docors who perormed so many

surgeries on him. In ac, since he sared on

Dancing With the Stars his season, many

docors have approached J.R. and said, ‘Oh,

I can help you, I can do his or you or per-

orm a special surgery, and J.R, has urned

hem down, saying ‘This is who I am.’ And I

respec and love ha abou him.”

In 2008, Daniel received an email rom

he ABC soap opera  All My Children. The

show was seeking real-lie veerans o audi-

onor he recurring role o an injured war

veeran reurning home. “I sen he email

o J.R. and hen called him. I old him he

had o go o New York and inerview or

his role. I knew in my hear he would ge i.

Anyhing he pus his mind o he ges done.”

His riend’s inuion was rock solid—J.R.

landed he role o veeran Bro Monroe,

and his an base sared o grow. Litle did

he know how much i would skyrocke.

Unorunaely, ABC recenly cancelled All 

My Children. Bu los o good came rom

he show’s cancellaon. For one hing, J.R.

me his girlriend, Diana, he assisan o an

execuve producer, on he soap opera.

And hen, o course, ABC offered him he

DWTS opporuniy…a journey ha J.R. says,

acually began on Facebook.

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