--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was nothing green left; artillery…" description: "\"“There was nothing green left; artillery had denuded and scarred every inch of ground. Tiny flares glowed and disappeared. Shrapnel burst with bluish w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/william-manchester-18393_courage_there-was-nothing-green-left-artillery-h_2298739.jpg" --- # There was nothing green left; artillery had denuded and… ![“There was nothing green left; artillery had denuded and scarred every inch of ground. Tiny flares glowed and disappeared. Shrapnel burst with bluish white puffs. Jets of flamethrowers flickered and here and there new explosions stirred up the rubble. While I watched, an American observation plane…” quote by William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/william-manchester-18393_courage_there-was-nothing-green-left-artillery-h_2298739.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/william-manchester-18393_courage_there-was-nothing-green-left-artillery-h_2298739.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/william-manchester-18393_courage_there-was-nothing-green-left-artillery-h_2298739.jpg) > ““There was nothing green left; artillery had denuded and scarred every inch of ground. Tiny flares glowed and disappeared. Shrapnel burst with bluish white puffs. Jets of flamethrowers flickered and here and there new explosions stirred up the rubble. While I watched, an American observation plane droned over the Japanese lines, spotting targets for the U.S. warships lying offshore. Suddenly the little plane was hit by flak and disintegrated. The carnage below continued without pause. Here I was safe, but tomorrow I would be there. In that instant I realized that the worst thing that could happen to me was about to happen to me.”” [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator sees the devastation of war and feels that his own survival is fleeting, realizing that death could strike at any moment. **In simple terms:** War is terrifying and death can come suddenly. Key Takeaway Cherish each day, stay vigilant. Themes war mortality psychology combat fate Mood somber reflective tense Type historical memoir war When to use this quote - soldier in trench - observer in war zone - military planning - peace advocacy Key Concepts existential dread impermanence combat reality Questions to Reflect On - How does witnessing destruction change your view of conflict? - What can be done to reduce the inevitability of death in war? A Different Perspective The vivid description may glorify violence, overlooking civilian suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Marines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marines/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [A second plane hit the second tower. 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He’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gloeggler/my-brother-was-on-his-way-to-a-dental-appointment-when-the-second/) Tony Gloeggler > [They were overjoyed when the first plane hit the building, so I said to them: be patient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/they-were-overjoyed-when-the-first-plane-hit-the-building-so-i-said/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [I'm a New York kid, so when I saw that plane that hit the first building, I suspected it was terrorism - blue sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/i-m-a-new-york-kid-so-when-i-saw-that-plane-that-hit-the-first/) [Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/) > [When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/when-someone-makes-a-move-of-which-we-don-t-approve-who-is-it-that/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [“Hero love?” I was puzzled. “You know. The kind of love you have for someone you want to be like: Marines, astronauts, cowboys, teachers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-dirks/hero-love-i-was-puzzled-you-know-the-kind-of-love-you-have-for/) [Leland Dirks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-dirks/) > [On patrol through Taliban villages, the falsehoods and the jingoism that beat the drums of war back home were quickly made hollow, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/on-patrol-through-taliban-villages-the-falsehoods-and-the-jingoism/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [They don’t eat that much.” “In comparison to what? Starving marines?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/they-don-t-eat-that-much-in-comparison-to-what-starving-marines/) [Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/) > [We didn't see what happen when Marines fired M-16s... We didn't see what happened after mortars landed, only the puff of smoke. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-banfield/we-didn-t-see-what-happen-when-marines-fired-m-16s-we-didn-t-see-what/) [Ashleigh Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-banfield/) > [My dad was a Marine. He was one of the Montford Point Marines. Those are the equivalent of the Tuskegee Airmen for Marines. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/my-dad-was-a-marine-he-was-one-of-the-montford-point-marines-those/) [Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by William Manchester > [ It is true that despite occasional gleams of Churchillian eloquence he \[Gen. Douglas MacArthur\] usually spoke poorly. He was far more effective in conversations… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/it-is-true-that-despite-occasional-gleams-of-churchillian-eloquence/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [Men do not fight for flag or country, for the Marine Corps or glory or any other abstraction. They fight for one another. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/men-do-not-fight-for-flag-or-country-for-the-marine-corps-or-glory-or/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [Actors who have tried to play Churchill and MacArthur have failed abysmally because each of those men was a great actor playing himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/actors-who-have-tried-to-play-churchill-and-macarthur-have-failed/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [I realized that the worst thing that could happen to me was about to happen to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/i-realized-that-the-worst-thing-that-could-happen-to-me-was-about-to/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [“The key to successful extramarital sex, therefore, was discretion. Mrs. Patrick Campbell, perhaps the most outspoken woman in polite society, said dryly: “It doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/the-key-to-successful-extramarital-sex-therefore-was-discretion-mrs/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [“It was Churchill who called John Foster Dulles “the only bull who brings his own china shop with him,” and who coined the progression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/it-was-churchill-who-called-john-foster-dulles-the-only-bull-who/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [I came to a dead stop and began major revisions. Sometimes these entailed the shredding of all existing manuscript for a fresh start -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/i-came-to-a-dead-stop-and-began-major-revisions-sometimes-these/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [A man's task is to find himself, and if he fails in this, it doesn't much matter what else he finds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/a-man-s-task-is-to-find-himself-and-if-he-fails-in-this-it-doesn-t/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [He was a great thundering paradox of a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/he-was-a-great-thundering-paradox-of-a-man/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [“Byron wrote his shortest and most eloquent poem as a testament to a titled woman who had taken leave of her husband for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/byron-wrote-his-shortest-and-most-eloquent-poem-as-a-testament-to-a/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [ His \[Gen. Douglas MacArthur's\] own heroes were Lincoln and Washington, and in some ways he resembled them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/his-gen-douglas-macarthur-s-own-heroes-were-lincoln-and-washington/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [But there are no loners. No man lives in a void. His every act is conditioned by his time and his society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/but-there-are-no-loners-no-man-lives-in-a-void-his-every-act-is/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [As she sallied forth from her boudoir, you would never have guessed how quickly she could strip for action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/as-she-sallied-forth-from-her-boudoir-you-would-never-have-guessed/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [“In 1988, William Manchester began writing The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm, the third and final volume of his biography of Winston Churchill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/in-1988-william-manchester-began-writing-the-last-lion-defender-of/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [ His \[Gen. Douglas MacArthur's\] own heroes were Lincoln and Washington, and in some ways he resembled them. Like them, he was slandered and misunderstood. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/his-gen-douglas-macarthur-s-own-heroes-were-lincoln-and-washington-2/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) [Explore all 35 William Manchester quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) Kristen Armstrong > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was nothing green left; artillery had denuded and scarred every inch of ground. Tiny flares glowed and disappeared. Shrapnel burst with bluish white puffs. Jets of flamethrowers flickered and here and there new explosions stirred up the rubble. While I watched, an American observation plane droned over the Japanese lines, spotting targets for the U.S. warships lying offshore. Suddenly the little plane was hit by flak and disintegrated. The carnage below continued without pause. Here I was safe, but tomorrow I would be there. 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