Dancing With the Stars winner visits local troops

Photos by Marie Fainter

Dancing extraordinaire and winner of this season’s Dancing With the Stars, J.R. Martinez was a show stopper Sunday evening as he visited soldiers and family members of his former Fort Campbell unit…2^nd Brigade Combat Team.

The former Strike soldier says he was glad to return to his old stomping ground and spoke about how life for him began at the local post.

During his visit with troops, he spoke about that fateful day on April 5^th, 2003 when he was badly wounded and while he was deployed in Iraq.

According to Martinez, he still remembers screaming for help and being burned 40 percent of his body after the vehicle he was driving hit an IED.

Despite his severe injuries Martinez says he wants to help and inspire others to see that life is worth living no matter how dark it may seem sometimes.

While he was at the local post, Martinez also had the chance to speak with fellow wounded soldiers and children.

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