Oct. 3, 2011: Former Army veteran J.R. Martinez dances a rumba to Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This," with dance partner Karina Smirnoff. (ABC)
J.R. Martinez bared his soul on Dancing With The Stars – opening up about his third degree burns he received while serving in Iraq.
On the show's "Personal Week," Martinez broke down in tears after finishing his rumba with partner Karina Smirnoff to Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This," a song dedicated to the wives of fallen military men.
The judges and the audience, taken aback with emotion as well, gave the couple a long standing ovation.
"I think the clear message behind that is that people really appreciate our men and women in the military," Martinez said. "I’ve never cried in front of that many people before. I can honestly say it’s the biggest stage I’ve ever cried on."
He went into detail about his accident, describing how a land mine blew up the Humvee he was in. The veteran/actor used that emotion to earn a solid 26 points – 30 is the highest possible score – putting him behind only Ricky Lake, who earned a 27.
"Tonight, you did something extraordinary. You touched us all," a teary eyed Carrie Ann Inaba told Martinez. "I could feel the weight with which you danced. That was one of the most profound, honest dances I've ever seen."
Len Goodman thought it was "a wonderful dance," a sentiment echoed by Bruno Tonioli.
"I could feel every emotion," Tonioli said. "You dance from the heart."
DWTS is a weekly dance competition and reality show in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers and compete for the opportunity to win the coveted disco ball-shaped trophy.
Past winners, such as Nicole Scherzinger from the X Factor, Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson and singer Donny Osmond, have taken their careers to the next level after winning the competition.
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