J.R. Martinez Pentagon Visit Being Arranged by Leon Panetta

By CP News Briefs
Saturday, November 26, 2011

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has invited Dancing With the Stars champion, J.R. Martinez, to meet him at the Pentagon.

It has been reported that Panetta gave the family favorite a 10-minute telephone call Friday, in which he told the dance champion that he had demonstrated the strength and resilience of wounded veterans, Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby has reported.

Kirby also added that Martinez had given full credit to his military training for his performances on Dancing With the Stars.

Martinez and professional dance partner Karina Smirnoff overcame the odds and came out on top on Tuesday’s final of the reality TV show on ABC. The paid beat out competition from fellow contestants Rob Kardashian and Ricki Lake in the finale.

Martinez, 28, is a war hero and infamously suffered burns on more than 40 percent of his body when he was in a mine blast while serving in Iraq in 2003. He was forced to undergo numerous operations to recover from the explosion and is widely heralded as a perfect inspirational winner for the reality TV show.

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