ROBERT GARDNER -- The Verdict

I was delighted with the election of John Heffernan to the Newport

Beach City Council. He ran a splendid campaign and I’m sure he’ll be a

worthy member of the council.

But the main reason I’m so pleased is that he is Tom Heffernan’s son.

During the early days of World War II, Tom Heffernan was the resident

special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At the same time, I

was an officer in the Office of Naval Intelligence. Each of us was

charged with investigating cases of alleged “sabotage, espionage and

subversity” -- in Tom’s case, with civilians; in my case, with naval

personnel.

Because the Marine Corps Air Base, the Tustin “Lighter Than” Air Base,

the Seal Beach Ammunition Depot and the Los Alamitos Air Base were under

construction, as well as two shipyards in Newport Harbor -- each of which

employed not only naval personnel but also civilians -- our paths crossed

so often that we almost became partners.

Unhappily, we couldn’t find a spy in all of Orange County. We were

very successful in proving that cases of alleged sabotage were actually

cases of carelessness, and that alleged subversives such as Heinz Kaiser

and Soto Nishigawa simply had names that were the same as those of our

enemies. But no spies.

Because Tom was from someplace back East and didn’t know a soul out

here, he became a fixture in our household. Then Tom was transferred back

East, and I went overseas.

After the war, I resumed my old law partnership with Don Harwood. One

day, who should walk in but Tom Heffernan. He had passed the California

Bar examination, so we took him in. However, the firm of Harwood, Gardner

and Heffernan didn’t last long because I was appointed to the Superior

Court.

So Don and Tom took in Mark Soden, who promptly became a Superior

Court judge. So Don and Tom took in Bob Corfman, who also promptly became

a Superior Court judge. I remember his swearing-in ceremony because Don

Harwood stood up and addressed the presiding judge.

He said, “Your Honor, Tom Heffernan and I are becoming tired of

educating lawyers to become judges. We have given this court Bob Gardner,

Mark Soden and Bob Corfman. Will you please tell the governor to pick on

another office for a while?”

Time passed and Tom Heffernan and I drifted apart, as judges and

lawyers do. But I shall always have a very soft place in my heart for the

great times we had.

I’m just sorry Tom didn’t live long enough to see his son sitting on

the Newport Beach City Council.

* ROBERT GARDNER is a Corona del Mar resident and a former judge. His

column appears Tuesdays.