MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Dozens of people attended a 9/11 Memorial Walk in Mooresville, honoring the lives lost during the September 2001 attacks. 

What You Need To Know

  • Monday marks 22 years since the September 11 attacks occured 

  • People in Mooresville came together for a Silence Walk, paying their respects to all impacted by 9/11

  • A former NYPD officer who was part of the rescue and recovery efforts participated in the walk 

  • The officer says telling his story is helping him to heal 

The participants walked in silence from town hall to Liberty Park's Veterans Promenade, remembering those who died and everyone impacted by the attacks. 

The silence walk event was hosted by Exchange Club of Mooresville-Lake Norman, Richard's Coffee Shop and the Town of Mooresville. 

Residents were seen holding a "Mooresville Will Never Forget Banner," and items from Ground Zero. 

Some of the walk participants included first responders impacted by 9/11. 

One of them was Vernon Siders Jr.

Siders served for the Marine Corps Reserve and later joined the New York City Police Department. 

While returning home from a midnight shift, he received a phone call from his mother alerting him a plane hit one of the World Trade Center buildings.

When he got home, he saw images of another plane hitting the other building.

"I knew it wasn't an accident then," Siders said. 

Siders' mom informed him that his sister was working across from the towers and no one had heard from her.

"I went back to Manhattan," Siders said. "I wanted to find my sister."

Siders and others officers joined the rescue and recovery efforts. 

"Pure chaos, didn't know what was what. We all became overwhelmed with emotion. People of all walks coming together, nobody complaining, there were no senseless conversations about anything. It was the first time in my life I seen everyone functioning on one accord, because we all had a common objective," Siders said. 

It would be three days before Siders learned his sister was OK. 

He continued searching for survivors until he collapsed from exhaustion on Sept. 14, 2001. 

"I later registered with the 9/11 health registry and received medical care," Siders said." [Eventually], my reserve unit with the Marine Corps was activated. I spent the next couple of months going back and forth to Ground Zero to provide security and assist with clean-up, both as a police officer and as a Marine. In September 2002, I was deployed to Camp Pendleton, California, for training ops, later to be discovered as battle prep for the invasion of Iraq. In January 2003, I was activated and deployed to Kuwait in preparation for the invasion."

In 2008, Siders would relocate to North Carolina to raise his son. 

He joined the Davidson Police Department. 

Siders retired from the department in 2020 and works as a licensed private investigator. He also engages in community events, telling his story. 

But for Siders and others, the events of 22 years ago, still feel like yesterday

"Everywhere I go I'm reminded of it," Siders said. "I'm triggered by every little thing that reminds me, puts me right back there. I got sick afterwards, diagnosed with asthma."

Siders says talking about his experiences on September 2001 is helping him to heal. He hopes hearing his story will motivate others to do the same. 

"Encourage [others] to talk about it," Siders said. "I know some people don't want to talk about it."