A mile to remember for Agent Billy Clardy III
Published on
Every day, thousands of drivers travel U.S. 72 through Huntsville. Now a stretch of that roadway will carry the name of a man who gave his life protecting the community he called home.
The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) joined HPD Agent Billy Clardy III’s family, Madison County Sheriff Kevin Turner, City leaders, state officials and law enforcement partners on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to formally dedicate the Agent Billy Clardy III Memorial Mile, creating a lasting tribute to an officer whose service and sacrifice will forever be part of Huntsville’s story.
“This memorial mile marker is a permanent reminder that Billy was here, that his service mattered and that the impact he made continues today,” HPD Chief Kirk Giles said.
In February 2024, the Alabama Legislature unanimously passed a resolution designating a portion of U.S. 72 East in memory of Agent Clardy. Memorial markers have since been installed on both the eastbound and westbound sides of U.S. 72 near the Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve.
“Today is about honoring our fallen hero, Agent Billy Clardy III, just as we did when the legislature passed the Agent Billy Clardy III Act, giving narcotics officers, law enforcement officers in Alabama a critical tool to combat drug trafficking. I think he would be proud of that,” Alabama District 21 Rep. Rex Reynolds, who sponsored the Agent Billy Clardy III Act in the Alabama Legislature, said.
Agent Clardy served with HPD for more than 20 years and was assigned to the department’s Narcotics Unit. In 2019, he was killed in the line of duty while investigating a large-scale drug trafficking operation.
Years later, his name continues to live on through the people who knew him, the officers who followed in his footsteps and the community he worked so hard to protect.
“Billy chose this profession, and it asks a tremendous amount from people who choose it,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “He paid that price, but he did so as someone who wanted to make our community a better place.”
The Agent Billy Clardy III Memorial Mile will serve as a permanent reminder of Agent Clardy’s service and sacrifice, giving generations of Huntsville residents a chance to see his name and remember the man behind it.