Trucker Life · Texas · November 13, 2026

Army Veteran and Trucker Alfonso Castaneda Makes a Rare Trip Home for the Anthony, Texas, Veterans Day Parade

By Big Rig Daily Staff

A truck driver whose job usually keeps him on the road made it home to Anthony, Texas, for this year's Veterans Day parade, KFOX14 reports.

Who he is

Alfonso Castaneda served in the Army with the 82nd Airborne, three years on active duty, then in the Reserve after he got out in 1983. These days he drives a truck, a job that often keeps him far from home on days like this one.

Parade day

This year he made it. He and his wife stood along the parade route together. Their grown children were at work and could not come.

Asked what the day means to him, he talked about the people he served with.

"Sometimes I remember the good friends that I met; they're not here no more," he said.

He also had a message for every veteran who made it back home: thank you.

After the parade, a local restaurant served meals to veterans at no charge.

Why it matters to truckers

Truck drivers miss many birthdays, holidays and hometown moments. Stories like this one are a reminder of how much it means when the schedule works out. Veterans make up a large part of the industry, as the Veterans Day push to hire 13,000 veterans showed this week.

Quick facts

• Who: Alfonso Castaneda, Army veteran and truck driver.
• Service: 82nd Airborne, three years of active duty, then the Reserve after 1983.
• Where: the Veterans Day parade in Anthony, Texas.
• With him: his wife; their grown children were at work.
• His message to fellow veterans who made it home: thank you.
• Why it was special: his job usually keeps him far from home on holidays.

A question for readers

Truckers, what is the one day a year you always try to get home for, no matter what?

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