BOISE, Idaho — As the nation approaches 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks, a Boise man is reflecting on a journey he took just weeks after one of the darkest days in American history.
Matthew Shapiro, a Brooklyn native who has lived in Boise for more than 30 years, traveled back to New York about a month after the attacks to witness the city's recovery and deliver messages of support from Idaho.
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Shapiro was on a work trip in Seattle when he learned about the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
"I found out that morning and it was just incredible shock," he said.
Having attended high school in Manhattan and visited the World Trade Center several times before the attacks, Shapiro said he felt compelled to return to his hometown.
Before leaving Idaho, Shapiro gathered letters written by students at Longfellow Elementary School for firefighters in New York.
He also collected signatures from Boise firefighters, Boise's mayor, and Idaho's governor on a state flag that he planned to deliver in person.
When he arrived in New York, Shapiro presented the flag to FDNY officials and delivered the student letters to a Manhattan firehouse that had lost a firefighter in the attacks.
He said he was surprised when New York City's Chief Fire Marshal personally accepted the flag.
Shapiro also visited Ground Zero while documenting the city's recovery on video — he shared that video with Idaho News 6 twenty-five years later.
"You could see that the site was still smoldering. I was surprised," he recalled.
During his trip, Shapiro interviewed firefighters and community members, including the owner of a Brooklyn bookstore, who spoke about the way people came together in the aftermath of the attacks.
More than two decades later, Shapiro said he still struggles to believe what happened, but he'll never forget witnessing the city's resilience firsthand.
"It'll just forever be a part of our history and this trip will be something I never forget," he said.
Several events are planned across the Treasure Valley this week to honor those lost on Sept. 11. Among them, Mission43's annual Never Forget 5K will take place Friday at Ann Morrison Park and along the Boise Greenbelt beginning at 5 p.m.
