J.R. Martinez

After a long recovery following severe burns on over 40 percent of his body as a result of serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, former infantryman-turned-actor J.R. Martinez went on to become a spokesperson and motivational speaker before joining the long-running daytime soap, "All My Children" (ABC, 1970-2011). Born on June 14, 1983 in Shreveport, LA, Martinez lost his sister, Anabel, to a congenital disease when he was a toddler, who at the time was living in El Salvador. When he was nine, Martinez moved to Hope, AK with his mother and lived there until he was 17 years old. From there, he moved to Dalton, GA, where he attended and played football for the Dalton High School Catamounts. In 2002, following his graduation, Martinez joined the army and went through basic training at Fort Benning. He deployed to Iraq in February 2003, where just two months later he was driving a Humvee that hit a landmine and caused him to suffer burns on over 40 percent of his body.