J. R. Martinez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J. R. Martinez
J. R. Martinez in 2008
Born	Jose Rene Martinez (1983-06-14) June 14, 1983 (age 42) Shreveport, Louisiana, US
Occupation	Actor motivational speaker soldier (veteran)
Years active	2008–present (acting)
Spouse(s)	Diana Jones ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	2002–2003
Rank	SPC
Battles/wars	Iraq War
Awards	Combat Action Ribbon (Needs Review – Awarded by United States Navy – United States Marine Corps – United States Coast Guard)

Jose Rene Martinez (born June 14, 1983) is an American actor and inspiring speaker. He used to be a soldier in the United States Army. In 2008, he started acting on the TV show All My Children. He also won Season 13 of Dancing with the Stars. J. R. Martinez was the main leader for the 2012 Rose Parade. He also acted in the TV series SAF3.

In 2003, Martinez was badly burned while serving as a soldier in Iraq. He was injured over 34 percent of his body. After getting better, he began traveling to share his story. He speaks to many groups, including schools and veteran organizations.

Early Life and Moving Around

J. R. Martinez was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. His mother's name is Maria Zavala. He has two sisters who grew up in El Salvador with his mother's family. Sadly, one of his sisters, Anabel, passed away before he could meet her. Martinez has never met his father.

When he was young, he moved with his mother to Hope, Arkansas. Just before his last year of high school, they moved again. This time, they moved to Dalton, Georgia.

J. R. Martinez's Career Journey

Serving in the Military

In September 2002, Martinez joined the Army. He trained at Fort Moore, Georgia. After training, he became an Infantryman. In January 2003, he was sent to Fort Campbell. There, he joined the 101st Airborne Division.

In February 2003, he went to the Middle East. Two months later, Martinez was driving a Humvee vehicle. It hit a hidden bomb called an IED. Martinez breathed in a lot of smoke. He also got severe burns on more than 34 percent of his body.

He was quickly taken to Germany for care. Then, he moved to a special burn center in San Antonio, Texas. He stayed there for 34 months. During that time, he had 33 surgeries. These included plastic surgery and skin grafts.

Becoming a Motivational Speaker

After his recovery, Martinez became a motivational speaker. He shares his experiences to inspire others. In 2008, he was honored as a "Shining Star of Perseverance". This award was given by the WillReturn Council. The next year, he received the Veterans Leadership Award. This award came from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).

Acting on Television

In 2008, Martinez got a role on the TV show All My Children. He played a character named Brot Monroe. This character was also an Army soldier injured in Iraq. Martinez first appeared on the show in November 2008.

In 2012, he was on the show Army Wives. He played a physical therapist who helped injured veterans. In 2013, he started on the show SAF3. He played a firefighter and paramedic named Alfonso Rivera.

Helping Burn Survivors

Martinez started helping other burn survivors while he was still recovering. He has been on the board of directors for The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. He first went to their World Burn Congress in 2008. He was a main speaker at the 2010 event.

Martinez even invited another burn survivor, Jenna Bullen, to watch Dancing with the Stars. They also made a public service announcement together. This was to help The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.

He also works with "Operation Finally Home." This group builds homes for American veterans and their families. These homes are mortgage-free. Martinez said about the project: “We’re not just giving them keys to open up the door to go into their home. We’re also giving them the key to opportunity, the key to know there are people who appreciate them, the key to positivity, the key to new beginnings.”

Winning Dancing with the Stars

Martinez often shares a story about his mother. She helped him learn to walk again. This was eight weeks after he had major foot surgery. His win on Dancing with the Stars was also the first win for his dance partner, Karina Smirnoff. He says she pushed him to do his best in every dance. This helped him win the whole competition.

See also

In Spanish: J. R. Martinez para niños