--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We came back right over the World Trade…" description: "\"We came back right over the World Trade Center and could see, even from that altitude, the devastation, the smoke that was coming up. It was obvious it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/hugh-shelton-20176_devastation_we-came-back-right-over-the-world-trade_2943289.jpg" --- # We came back right over the World Trade Center and could… ![“We came back right over the World Trade Center and could see, even from that altitude, the devastation, the smoke that was coming up. It was obvious it was going to be horrible.” quote by Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/hugh-shelton-20176_devastation_we-came-back-right-over-the-world-trade_2943289.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/hugh-shelton-20176_devastation_we-came-back-right-over-the-world-trade_2943289.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/hugh-shelton-20176_devastation_we-came-back-right-over-the-world-trade_2943289.jpg) > “We came back right over the World Trade Center and could see, even from that altitude, the devastation, the smoke that was coming up. It was obvious it was going to be horrible.” [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing the devastation from above underscores the horror and scale of tragedy. **In simple terms:** The scene was horrendous. Key Takeaway Remember the impact of tragedy. Themes war terrorism human cost Mood somber reflective Type historical commemorative When to use this quote - memorial planning - policy decisions - education on history Key Concepts historical memory empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can we honor victims? - What lessons should be learned? 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You’re already off to a shitty start.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ney/dude-let-s-be-honest-you-re-going-to-be-a-horrible-boyfriend-like-the/) [Sara Ney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ney/) > [“Many signs point to the fact that the youth of the Third World will no longer tolerate living in circumstances that give them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rom-o-dallaire/many-signs-point-to-the-fact-that-the-youth-of-the-third-world-will/) [Roméo Dallaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rom-o-dallaire/) > [“On December 4, 1998, the headline on the President’s Daily Brief, the most secret intelligence document in the government of the United States, read:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-weiner/on-december-4-1998-the-headline-on-the-president-s-daily-brief-the/) [Tim Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-weiner/) > [“Okay, I know--my superpower--I'd be able to shoot lightening bolts out from my fingertips--great big knowledge network lightening bolts--and when a person was zapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/okay-i-know-my-superpower-i-d-be-able-to-shoot-lightening-bolts-out/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [ “His \[the pedestrian's\] elevation transfigures him into a voyeur. It puts his at a distance. It transforms the bewitching world by which one was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-certeau/his-the-pedestrian-s-elevation-transfigures-him-into-a-voyeur-it-puts/) [Michel de Certeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-certeau/) > [A few weeks after the planes hit the World Trade Center, I applied for a direct commission in the U.S. Army Reserve and ultimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-cunningham/a-few-weeks-after-the-planes-hit-the-world-trade-center-i-applied-for/) [Cal Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-cunningham/) > [I consider part of lower Manhattan to be hallowed ground. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the World Trade Center towers... and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shuster/i-consider-part-of-lower-manhattan-to-be-hallowed-ground-nearly-3-000/) [David Shuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shuster/) > [Without mentioning names, it was other people. Some day, they ought to open the report and find out. But it was other people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/without-mentioning-names-it-was-other-people-some-day-they-ought-to/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“The Crucified is the One most traumatized. He has borne the World Trade Center. He has carried the Iraq war, the destruction in Syria,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-langberg/the-crucified-is-the-one-most-traumatized-he-has-borne-the-world/) [Diane Langberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-langberg/) > [On this very day 12 years ago 4 planes were high jacked by tourist. 3 hit their target. The world trade center and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stark/on-this-very-day-12-years-ago-4-planes-were-high-jacked-by-tourist-3/) [Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stark/) ## More by Hugh Shelton > [Those are the things that, in the wrong hands - and certainly in our war on terrorism we also must attack proliferation and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/those-are-the-things-that-in-the-wrong-hands-and-certainly-in-our-war/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [I think that the American people should rest assured and be assured that every federal agency that has a role to play in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/i-think-that-the-american-people-should-rest-assured-and-be-assured/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [They were involved in a firefight and felt they were surrounded. 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They are tremendous individuals. They are individuals that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/but-the-other-thing-is-is-that-i-feel-very-confident-in-the/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [Our people are working overtime - I say our people; our federal agencies in this regard - and that I'm confident that the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/our-people-are-working-overtime-i-say-our-people-our-federal-agencies/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [I feel very confident that Americans flying in the air are safe and that only under the most dire of circumstances would our pilots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/i-feel-very-confident-that-americans-flying-in-the-air-are-safe-and/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [Of course, you always have to be concerned about hijacking. But with the measures that are in place right now, I'd say that probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/of-course-you-always-have-to-be-concerned-about-hijacking-but-with/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [I always concentrated on doing the very best that I could in the job and the duties that I was assigned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/i-always-concentrated-on-doing-the-very-best-that-i-could-in-the-job/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [And so I'm still giving some thought - I will transition hopefully into the corporate world. And I look forward to getting involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/and-so-i-m-still-giving-some-thought-i-will-transition-hopefully-into/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [I had seen the films out of World War II, the great 82nd Airborne, the 101st, and all of those of you in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/i-had-seen-the-films-out-of-world-war-ii-the-great-82nd-airborne-the/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [Whether or not you could actually increase the size of the force is something that will have to be determined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/whether-or-not-you-could-actually-increase-the-size-of-the-force-is/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) [Explore all 31 Hugh Shelton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) ## More Devastation quotes > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Talent? That's not talent. Talent is Liza Minnelli tap dancing and singing at the same time. What I just saw was devastation. Dying man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/talent-that-s-not-talent-talent-is-liza-minnelli-tap-dancing-and/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Promoting the use of sustainable and renewable rainforest products can help to stop rainforest devastation. The rainforests are much more valuable alive than cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/promoting-the-use-of-sustainable-and-renewable-rainforest-products/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [This is the great truth life has to teach us ... that gratification of our individual desires and expression of our personal preferences without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hortense-odlum/this-is-the-great-truth-life-has-to-teach-us-that-gratification-of/) [Hortense Odlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hortense-odlum/) > [ As you look back in history, we \[the United States\] have done wonderful things, the Marshal Plan is the most obvious. 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