April 5th, 2003, is a day that J.R. Martinez will never forget. While serving in Iraq at the age of 19, his Humvee hit a landmine, injuring three of his fellow soldiers and himself. J.R.'s injuries were the most severe, leaving him burned over 40% of his body, being in treatment for 34 months, and 32 surgeries. J.R. believed that at 19 years old, every dream was gone and his life would be over. Through it all, he remained positive and driven that he would survive.
During the 34 months of treatment, J.R. had to endure a lot of pain. Everyday, he would have to scrub the open wounds on his body and because it was so gruesome, he would be screaming and yelling. The doctors and nurses would have to hold him down because there was no medicine that could take away the pain. It was something that J.R. could never imagine, especially since it happened to him. His life flashed before his eyes.
After five weeks of being in the hospital, J.R. wanted to see himself in the mirror, even though the nurses hesitated. " I'm going to have to live with this for the rest of my life. I might as well start learning how to live with it now." Upon seeing himself, J.R. thought he was a freak, making him be angry, depressed, and thinking he never did anything to deserve this punishment. There was a time when he felt like he wanted to die and he changed his mind when he had a talk with his mom. She told him that whoever is going to be in your life is there because of who you are as a person and not what you look like.
Listening to his mother's advice brought about a new perspective of life for J.R. " I had to grieve Jose Rene Martinez dying in Iraq, and as I looked at it, J.R. Martinez was reborn," he said. After being sent home, he wanted to use his experience to help others. So J.R. went back to the hospital to talk to other soldiers and encouraged them to live a full life. he goes back to the place where a lot of people wouldn't want to go.
In 2008, he got the opportunity of a lifetime, which was auditioning for the role of a real soldier to play a veteran on All My Children. He landed the part and was on the show until it ended in September of 2011. One thing J.R. still wants to do is returning to Iraq "to encourage the men and women who are still there that great things are near." Even though what he experienced was traumatic, J.R. always believed that he survived for a reason. He has a great personality that makes people love him.
In September 2011, J.R. got another great opportunity, which was to appear on Dancing With The Stars. He said yes and ever since day one, was a fan favorite(and mine too). He had such an instant connection with his fans as well. Each week, he expresses himself through the dances and makes his fans understand what the competition meant to him. No one deserved to win more than J.R.
Overall, J.R. Martinez is a true American hero to me for the way he sacrificed his life for this country. He is an inspiration to a lot of people, giving them hope and the feeling that they can do anything. No one can ever imagine what these soldiers go through. J.R. overcame obstacles to get where he is today. He is a hero and example that dreams can come true.
I met J.R. and Karina at Mohegan sun on January 22nd, 2012 and it was one of the best days. He is one of the sweetest, open, down to earth, and positive people I have ever met. He really loved when I thanked him for serving in the military and for coming to meet him. If I am in a bad mood, thinking about how positive he is, gets me through the day. I really appreciate who he is as person and how he inspires people.
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