"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"

The quote by Hugh Shelton uses a poignant reflection on the consequences of the September 11 attacks, recording the magnitude of the disaster from a distinct viewpoint. As someone observing from above, probably in an airplane, Shelton offers a visceral description that improves our understanding of the event's impact. The phrase "We came back right over the World Trade Center" indicates a return journey over a space that had, till shortly before, been a sign of American prosperity and modernity. Making use of "came back" suggests a revisitation, either actually or metaphorically, to a site now transformed by violence and loss.

The viewpoint "from that elevation" evokes a sense of range, both physically and mentally. Seeing the devastation from above may suggest a detailed, yet all at once disconnected, point of view on the calamity listed below. This altitude offers a more comprehensive view, perhaps understating the psychological texture but foregrounding the scale of damage. At such a height, one may anticipate information to blur into obscurity; nevertheless, Shelton notes that the "destruction" and "the smoke that was showing up" were still strikingly evident, reinforcing the event's enormity.

The statement "it was going to be horrible" conveys an ominous foresight. This expression highlights the instantaneous recognition that what had actually happened would have lasting, extreme consequences. The future tense, "was going to be," indicates not only the immediate horror but also the anticipation of additional implications, both concrete and mental. The quote thus encapsulates a minute frozen in time-- a mix of immediate acknowledgment and future dread.

In essence, Shelton's words resonate as a testament to the extensive shock and sustaining sorrow that 9/11 imprinted on the American awareness. The brilliant images invokes not simply the physical destruction however also the emotional and historical weight of one of the 21st century's specifying minutes.