J.R. Martinez joined the Army to give back to the country that accepted his immigrant, single mother and to earn money for college. As a 19-year-old, handsome Infantryman, he quickly deployed to Iraq. One bad day, his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, trapping J.R. inside where burning fuel literally melted the skin from his face and consumed one of his ears. J.R.’s buddies pulled him clear but not before he suffered third-degree burns over almost half his body, broken ribs, damaged lungs, and physical scarring that remains to this day. Putting J.R. back together required 34 surgeries over the next few years and lots of emotional work to help him come to terms with his new reality.
Yet after all of that, J.R. calls this devastating event “a blessing.” Early in his long recovery, doctors invited him to visit newly-injured soldiers. By serving these young men and women, J.R. realized his life still had a purpose and that he could contribute to the well-being of others even with his limited physical capacity. The positive mental attitude that got him noticed by senior officers also earned the attention of Hollywood when he won a role on the soap opera All My Children. That led to a stint on season 13 of Dancing with the Stars, which he and his dance partner (Karina Smirnoff) won!
In this unstructured conversation, J.R. and I talk about fatherhood, fertility testing (gotta fill that cup, fellas!), career ups-and-downs, marriage, and J.R.’s journey. He’s an incredible guy and I know you’ll feel better after learning how he made it through all life could throw at him.
Share this post