Friday, January 1, 1904
Related story:Martinez' effort an inspiration for Dalton
War hero. Survivor. Actor.
And on Tuesday evening, Dalton, Ga., hometown hero J.R. Martinez added "dancer" to his list of accomplishments, taking home the top prize in season 13 of "Dancing With the Stars."
Martinez, a Dalton High School football player who was severely burned when his Humvee caught fire while he was on duty in Iraq, has been a crowd favorite since the first week on the show.
He ranked near the top of the leaderboard for weeks and was praised by the judges for his charm, inspiration and feel for the music.
Martinez was speechless for just a second after the winner was announced, burying his scarred face in his hands.
"You know what, I want to thank everybody who voted for us for 10 weeks," Martinez said.
Rob Kardashian took second place in the competition, and Ricki Lake placed third.
In Dalton, where friends had gathered at the Bradley Wellness Center to watch the finale, there were loud cheers and applause when the winner was announced.