Question A

[Jonetta]

Stan Wolchonok is viewed by everyone above and below his rank as being resourceful, able to solve any problem. We get a chance to see him in action at the onset of the story. What sense did you get of the man? Did he live up to, surpass or fall short of the hype?

[Anita]

I felt he was dedicated to the men on his Team and would do anything within his power to help them. He more than lived up to his hype. He was definitely the man who would protect and serve his men to the best of his ability.

[Sharon]

I love Stan, and he lived up to the hype, in my opinion. I love how he went out to rescue his team even though he was sick. He knows how to diffuse sticky situations, and he is very good at reading a situation and reacting off the cuff.

[Jonetta]

In these few pages, I got Stan Wolchonok! The man was dead sick but still had the wherewithal to resolve three separate issues in that bar! He more than lived up to the hype and this set the stage for me to root for him going forward.

[Lauren]

I agree that this scene, and the ones that follow showing not only his empathy but also his skill at resolving problems, made me love Stan.

That said, I also got a sense here that he was very much alone. He gives so much of himself to others, but never receives much in return (not that he would even think of asking). He drove home alone sick as a dog.

[Jonetta]

And never really told anyone he was sick!

[Anita]

I agree with Lauren, Stan was very much alone. It seemed like he never gave himself freely to the friendships that forged deep and lasting relationships among the men. He held himself apart from them.

[Sharon]

I saw him a little differently. He didn't mix his work life with his home life. His friendships at work were real and deep, but once he left work, he was alone and inside himself. He enjoyed the solitude of his home.

I'm a little like that myself. I don't socialize with people from work, but from 9 to 5, I socialize with my co-workers. I keep my personal life to myself at work. Unlike Stan, I have a big family who I love and who love me.

[Robin]

From the opening of the book, the author showed us exactly who Stan was. He was a fixer. He was a man who cared about his team and would do anything to help them out. And he was very resourceful in fixing problems.