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Iraq War Vet J.R. Martinez Is A New Dad (Video)

J.R. Martinez
knowjr.com
J.R. Martinez

J.R. Martinez, the injured Iraq War veteran who gained a national following by winning "Dancing with the Stars" last year, is a new father. His girlfriend gave birth to their daughter Lauryn Anabelle on Wednesday.

Martinez told People magazine how he and girlfriend Diana Gonzalez-Jones chose the name:

“Her first name, Lauryn, is after Diana’s younger sister who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. And her middle name, Anabelle, is after my sister who passed away when she was 6.”

As Home Post has previously reported, Martinez was gravely injured in the Iraq War. In April 2003, less than a month after he was deployed to Iraq, the Humvee in which Martinez was driving hit a land mine. The vehicle caught fire and Martinez was trapped inside. Suffering from burns to more than 40 percent of his body, Martinez spent 34 months recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas - where he underwent 33 different surgeries.

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Martinez wears many hats these days. He's worked as an actor on "All My Children," served as the Grand Marshal of the 2012 Rose Parade, and is a much-in-demand motivational speaker.

CelebTV.com put together this splashy little video birth announcement:

Iraq War Vet J.R. Martinez Becomes New Dad