Jose Rene Martinez

"I cried for the young man I had been and the person I was now. Even though I hadn't yet seen my burned face or body, I knew that I probably wasn't beautiful anymore. And that hurt almost as much as the physical pain." (Martinez 166) Jose Rene Martinez would never have imagined in a million years his life would turn out like this. Jose Rene Martinez was born in Shreveport, L.A. and raised by a single mother, Maria Zavala. (Thompson) As a teenager J.R. had aspirations of becoming professional football player. Until he faced an injury making him unable to pursue his dream. (Thompson) After high school J.R. decided to enter the army, to serve his country that has done so much for him and his family.  "Less than a month later, April 5, the front left tire of the Humvee he was driving hit a landmine. Three other soldiers were thrown from the vehicle and sustained mostly minor injuries, buthe was trapped inside." (Collins) Martinez suffered from severe burns covering nearly forty percent of his body.  He spent more than two years at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, recovering, going through multiple skin graphs and thirty-three cosmetic surgeries.(Thompson) After his long road of recovery Martinez went on to achieve and accomplish many things never thought possible. "He became involved with Salute America's Heroes, c. 2004;appeared as Brot Monroe in All My Children, ABC, 2008-11; won Dancing with the Stars, ABC, 2011; served as grand marshal of the Rose Bowl Parade, 2012; and signed a deal to write his memoir, 2012."("J. R. Martinez.") A hero is "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble  qualities." ("Hero") J.R Martinez is a hero in every sense according to this definition. Martinez possesses courage, he is optimistic, and most of all he is inspirational. Therefore he is a without a doubt a hero.

J.R Martinez is a hero because of the courage he possesses. Martinez was courageous enough to even enlist in the army. "He deployed to Iraq during the initial invasion in March 2003 at the age of 19, only six months after enlisting." (Collins) Most young adults would not have the courage to enlist in the army knowing that they would be deployed to defend their country and risk their own lives. After nearly being burned alive, "He initially underwent thirty-three different surgeries to address his injuries."("J.R. Martinez.") Any single surgery is a scary event, but to undergo thirty-thereof them is extraordinary. One can only imagine how much courage it took to go through surgery after surgery knowing anything could happen. This points to Martinez's character and tenacity to continue on and to keep fighting. 

Jose Martinez is a hero due to his tremendous attitude and ability to stay positive and be optimistic even through the toughest times. Martinez had suffered severe burns all over his body and face which dramatically changed his appearance. After seeing himself for the first time sense the incident Jose knew that people would never treat him the same again. "'Now I get to see who liked me as a person... Now I get to see who really loves me or likes me for who I am as a person,'" he said. In that instant he understood, and he suddenly had a new mission." (Collins) Martinez was able to put a positive spin on his new appearance even though he knew that many people would judge him before they even knew him. He realized that the people in his life would like him for who he is as a person and not just his appearance. Even despite the horror Martinez must have felt when he first looked at himself after the incident he was able to think clearly and come to the conclusion that what had happened to him was truly a good thing. Martinez was able to take his new appearance and use it to help others around him. "I like the fact that I look different.... I'm sitting here as the spokesman for veterans... and I'm just one of those examples of trying to raise awareness of life, adversity, positive thinking, and positive doing."("J. R.Martinez.") Martinez could have easily took his appearance and made it an excuse so that he didn't have to go out and look other people in the eye. He could have looked at himself and been too depressed to even think about helping others. Instead he did the exact opposite. He took his appearance and turned it into something great. Jose was able to take his appearance and use into teach people lessons. He was able to help other people going through similar situations realize that things were going to turn out to be alright. J.R.Martinez was able to take this horrible incident and turn it into something fantastic. He was able to stay optimistic through everything when he could have easily given up.

Martinez is courageous, optimistic, and inspirational and that is what makes him a hero .J.R. Martinez's courage is shown in several ways, enlisting in the Army, traveling overseas to defend his country and his tenacity to keep going. His optimism is what helped him get through the toughest times. He was able to take this tragic incident and make it something great. Martinez is a huge inspiration to me, because he has been able to come back from this tragic accident and he was able to turn it into something great. He could have easily given up. He could have easily created an excuse for himself as to why he couldn't do great things. Instead he went out and he accomplished so much. He continued to see the positive side of the whole situation. He turned a negative situation into something great. He even took this tragic experience and shared it with other people who were going through the situations like his and provided them with hope of better days. The world could use more people like Jose Rene Martinez. People who focus on the more important things in life and turn even the darkest situations into something bright

Works Cited

Alexander, Bryan. "J.R. Martinez steps up and grabs 'Dancing' title." USA Today 23 Nov. 2011: 02D. Biography in Context. Web. 9 May 2014.

"Circle of Care Foundation to Give J.R. Martinez 'Spirit of Hope' Award."Entertainment Close-up 20 Oct. 2011. Biography in Context. Web. 9 May 2014.

Collins, Elizabeth M. "ARMY.MIL, The Official Homepage of the United States Army." From Hospital to Hollywood: A Soldier's Story. U.S.Army, 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 02 May 2014.

"J. R. Martinez." Newsmakers. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Biography in Context. Web. 5 May 2014.

Rizzo, Monica. "She's My Little Angel." People Weekly 18 June 2012: 118. Biography in Context. Web. 9 May 2014

Thompson, Victoria, and Lauren Effron. "J.R. Martinez on Rebuilding His Life After Surviving a Roadside Bomb Blast: Recovery Was 'The Real War'"ABC News. ABC News Network, 21 Nov. 2011. Web. 08 May 2014.