VIDEO: J.R. Martinez Delivers Emotional Tribute For Fallen Soldiers

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Season thirteen of Dancing With The Stars third week performance show aired October 3, 2011. Ten couples remained to dance the night away and had to tell a personal story through dance to commemorate the most memorable year in the stars’ lives. 

As his most memorable year, J.R. Martinez chose the year he was injured in the Iraq war when he drove his Humvee over a landmine which exploded.

J.R. explained that after he saw his injured and burned face for the first time, he became depressed and he had regret, wishing he had perished instead.

At 19, he could not understand how his life had turned upside down. He would go to sleep crying at night until his mom was able to tell him one day some moving words which for some reason resonated deeply with him and made him want to fight for his life from that moment moving forward.

The song J.R. chose by Tim McGraw is about a soldier’s wife reading her husband’s letter –meaning that if she was reading it, he had not survived the war. He dedicated this song to the men and women who did not get a second chance in life like he did and who did not make it home after the war.

When J.R. finished his emotionally-wrenching routine, there could not have been a dry eye in the house. Or in the U.S. His partner Karina Smirnoffwas crying silently by his side. Here is what the judges had to say:

Carrie Ann Inaba: “Heroes are made…they’re ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Tonight, you did something extraordinary. You touched us all. And I could feel the weight with which you dance by dedicating this to all those who we’ve lost. I thank you because that was one of the most profound honest dances I have ever seen on this show.”
Len Goodman: “Every season somebody dances to a standard which is unexpected, and this season that dancer is you. I wouldn’t expect performances like that from you. We have to justify our marks…for me, it could have been more musical through the arms. I think it was a wonderful performance, it was so poignant and I loved it.”
Bruno Tonioli: “Darling you really are a hero and you really are a source of inspiration. You danced from you heart and I could feel every emotion. It was tangible, you could touch it. Great great achievement.”

WATCH JR MARTINEZ AND KARINA SMIRNOFF’S DANCE:

Dance: Rumba
Song: “If You’re Reading This” by Tim McGraw
Telephone No.: 1-800-VOTE4-10

Scores: 9-8-9=26 out of 30. This score is a four point improvement for JR over last week.


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