The Day of Independence

By Brandon Stevenson, Sr. SBA Loan Servicer, Core Bank.
As we do every year on July 4th, there are many things to think back on as a country. Thomas Jefferson once said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots, and tyrants.” In the last two decades, this country has seen the emergence of what I like to think of as the new, greatest generation.

Independence Day is one of this country’s most sacred celebrations of history. The right to be able to grill out with our families and blow up fireworks is a wonderful thing secured by the blood and tears of the finest this country has to offer.
Core Bank has a special relationship with the warrior community, in the employment of veterans, and in the business owners that we choose to do loans with. I recently learned that even when the policies of the SBA changed to include less benefits for veteran business owners, Core Bank continued to offer the same benefits as before because we felt it was the right thing to do. As one of the two vets in the Kansas City branch, this was very special to me.
I asked Alicia Walker, who served in our nations Army, if there was anything in particular that stood out as a special moment for her. The answer I received emphasized to me the special nature of another vet’s mindset. She told me that it was always significant for her to know how to assist and help those who struggled within her unit. The training and experience gave her a confidence that she could get others squared away and tightened up because she had been through it before.

I did some reflection of my own. I remembered in Fort Benning, GA in 2007 I had the honor of raising our nations flag on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. I remember thinking that as long as there is just one person in our group present, then the flag would have been raised that day, because of the dedication involved in a volunteer force. That was a feeling that never left me, and after being able to talk to others the question usually becomes, “What’s the next mission?”
The self-driven, goal oriented men and women who have the determination to come to work and push as hard as they can for success are an incredible resource to both the bank and the communities that they serve. The 4th was always about gaining our country’s independence, and every generation that followed has fought hard to keep us free.
Happy 4th of July from all of us at Core Bank.