Restoring hero status

COEUR d’ALENE — The silver F-86 fighter jet suspended above the 45-inch bronze hydroplane racing boat memorial east of The Coeur d’Alene Resort has been there since July 1969.

Countless people see the sculpture every year, perhaps not realizing the dramatic history behind it. Today, the memorial is in need of repair.

Commemorating hydroplane racer Lt. Col. Warner Gardner, a “long-time local fan favorite,” the memorial needs some serious refurbishment, said Stephen Shepperd, a local author, hydroplane enthusiast and Diamond Cup Hydromaniacs Facebook page administrator.

Between the ages of 12-18, Shepperd worked with Gardner. Shepperd worked on boat races from 1950-68. Through that, he and Gardner developed a friendship, Shepperd told The Press.

“He was a very friendly gentleman, a people person,” Shepperd said.

Shepperd and his fellow Hydromaniacs have undertaken efforts to raise money and orchestrate the repairs.

Originally from the Midwest, Gardner had a relatively short 7-year career in hydroplane racing. Many of his race events took place in and around Coeur d’Alene, where he was well known among fans. With so many friends in Coeur d’Alene, Gardner loved the area, stopping any time he was passing through, Shepperd said.

The hydroplane superstar solidified his local popularity in 1963, when he saved fellow hydroplane race driver Mira Slovak after an accident on Lake Coeur d’Alene during the Diamond Cup race.

Jumping from the boat he was driving, the Notre Dame, Gardner dove “into the debris field of the disintegrated Miss Exide" and held Slovak’s head above water until a rescue crew arrived, said Shepperd.

Gardner died in September 1968 following a tragic accident in the American Power Boat Association Gold Cup race in Detroit. He had been piloting a 6,000-pound boat called Miss Eagle Electric, powered by a World War II fighter plane engine. The craft was hitting speeds of more than 120 mph, Shepperd said.

During the final heat, Gardner was poised to win the national championship, Shepperd said.

“Gardner came out of a turn onto a straightaway, when the boat started to bounce,” Shepperd said.

In a phenomenon known as “nosing-in,” the nose of the boat dug into the water, snapping the boat in half.

“It basically disintegrated under him,” Shepperd said.

The owner of Miss Eagle Electric, local businessman Dave Heerensperger, was profoundly affected by the loss of his friend, Shepperd said.

When Gardner passed away, “a movement was immediately begun in Coeur d’Alene to memorialize the late driver as well as several others in the unlimited ranks who had been killed in recent years while racing thunderboats,” Shepperd said.

The Heerensperger family volunteered to head the fundraising drive. The Hydromaniacs and previous owner of Hudson’s Hamburgers, the late Howard Hudson, joined in the efforts.

His memorial was erected and dedicated the following year, on July 13, 1969.

The plaque on the Gardner memorial reads, “In memory of Warner E. Gardner, Lt. Col. U.S.A.F. (Ret.) and fellow drivers who devoted so much to hydroplane racing.”

Gardner, a decorated veteran, served as a WWII fighter pilot during 63 missions.

The memorial has “drifted into disrepair over recent years,” Shepperd said. “Decorative work on the memorial plaque has been broken off and the bronze work has tarnished over time.”

Arrangements have been made for Terry Cozad Masonry of Coeur d’Alene and Pinehurst to conduct the repairs.

About $7,000 is needed to bring the memorial back to its former glory.

Those interested in contributing to the efforts can make donations two ways. Checks can be mailed to: Hydromaniacs Unlimited, 1120 W. Fallview Drive, Coeur d’Alene, Id. 83815. Or donate online at the Warner Gardner Memorial Renovation Go Fund Me page: bit.ly/35uq5TG