Many TV viewers remember J.R. Martinez as the Dancing with the Stars Season 13 champ. The Iraq War vet wowed the audience with not only his rhythm and killer moves but also his incredible story of survival and recovery after a roadside bomb hit the tire of his Humvee, leaving 34 percent of his body burned.

But nowadays, Martinez, who is of Salvadoran decent, is dancing to a different beat.

While he's still got the moves within him, he admits there haven't been any opportunities to bust out the Fox Trot. Instead, he's starring in a new show, SAF3, he's helping wounded and disabled vets and burn victims through organizations like Operation Finally Home, the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, Rebuilding America's Warriors and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Recently, Martinez spoke to Latin Post about his feelings on undocumented Latinos who serve in the U.S. Military, and those in the U.S who come here in search of a better life.

In SAF3 (pronounced SAFE), a nationally syndicated drama series filmed in South Africa, Martinez plays Alfonso Rivera, a Los Angeles paramedic/firefighter and a member of the U.S. Air Force Pararescue team.

"It's a great show, it's an action show... My character is burned during a rescue, and so you see that. There a lot of morals and lessons," he told Latin Post.

Martinez, who also starred on All My Children for three years, says he loves how SAF3 dedicates its episodes to real-life veterans with a quote or a thoughtful message.

In a way, art imitates life for Martinez and it sometimes conjures memories of his time serving in the U.S. Army. "You become that character and sometimes you pull things from your personal life, but it really depends on the role," he explained.

Growing up in the south, Martinez embraced his Salvadoran ethnicity by often visiting his family in El Salvador and by learning how to speak Spanish -- with the push and encouragement of his mother. He learned later in life that she was right in doing so. He recognized its value by traveling and living in different parts of the country.

"It's a growing language; it's a great language. It's a great thing to have," he said. "I love being Latino and I love representing my people."

Martinez, who is a spokesperson and volunteer for several organizations, including Operation Finally Home, said he's moved when Latinos come up to him seeking advice.

"For me it's really cool to be a Latino and to be able to be so impactful in this country. I was born in the United States, but my family still lives in El Salvador. For me to still be able to represent my people, represent my roots and where I come from is very important and I believe as Latinos, we contribute a lot to this country and to the success of this country and what it's able to accomplish," he added.

Once an impressionable young male himself, who enlisted in the U.S. Army at the young age of 17 (and is a U.S. citizen), what is Martinez's stance on undocumented Latinos who enlist with the hopes of gaining citizenship?

"I say, why not? You get people that are born in this country that aren't willing to fight for this country. So, if you have somebody from another country that's willing to fight for this country -- whether they are Latinos or anything else -- I say, why not?

"You have given something to this country, you have sacrificed for this country, the least we can do is give you the opportunity to live here and enjoy the freedoms that you fought for! I say give them the freedoms they fought for!"

While living in Los Angeles, Martinez recalled spotting a Caucasian man on one side of the road, holding up a sign asking for money. On the opposite side there was a Latina, also facing hardships, but instead she was selling flowers, trying to earn money. He pointed out the difference in undocumented immigrants who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work hard and want to pay taxes -- versus most Americans who have "a sense of entitlement" and don't want to take jobs that they believe are beneath them.

Martinez said that while he understands that everyone should pay taxes and be accountable, undocumented immigrants need the right path to do so.

"If you hook them up with papers, they would be paying taxes. Don't complain about the jobs that they are taking because you're not going to do that job," he said.

"This is a sh.... economy and I guarantee you many Americans haven't worked at the Mickey D's, the Burger Kings, the Taco Bells, the clothing stores or cleaning hotel rooms. There are a lot of people that won't do it because of a sense of entitlement or status, or that it's embarassing. So stop complaning. At the end of the day, they (the Americans) are the ones that are benefitting from the damn drive-thru."

In March of 2003, Martinez was deployed to Iraq and on April 5, less than a month into his deployment, the life as he knew it would change forever. While driving a Humvee in Karbala, his left front tire hit a roadside bomb. The three other soldiers were ejected from the burning vehicle, but he was trapped inside and suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to 34 percent of his body.

Martinez was rushed to a local medic station in Iraq and then to Landstuhl, Germany. He spent 34 months in recovery surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. Since then, he has undergone 33 different surgeries, including skin grafts and cosmetic surgery.