In a remarkable twist of history, E.J. “Jack” Mallory, a Navy dentist, created dentures for General Hideki Tojo, the infamous leader of Japan during World War II. The dentures were crafted while Tojo was imprisoned in Tokyo’s Sugamo Prison, awaiting trial for war crimes. Mallory, who practiced dentistry in Paradise and Chico, California, from 1948 until the mid-1980s, completed the task in 1946, leaving behind a secret that would only come to light nearly half a century later.
Mallory, then a 22-year-old officer, was assigned to serve as a Dental Prosthetics Officer for the U.S. Navy after graduating in June 1945. In the summer of 1946, he was temporarily transferred to the Army due to a shortage of dentists. He arrived in Tokyo, tasked not only with caring for the dental needs of military personnel but also for prisoners at Sugamo Prison, including Tojo, who was suffering from severe dental issues.
Recalling his father’s character, Paul Mallory noted that his father treated all patients with dignity and respect, regardless of their backgrounds. “Dad’s personal integrity guided him to give the best care possible, and that’s what he did for Tojo,” Paul said. The general’s dental treatment involved extracting several remaining teeth and constructing a set of dentures, a process that took weeks and required numerous visits.
Jack Mallory described Tojo as a “tired, grandfatherly-looking man,” quite different from the fierce persona portrayed during the war. Their interactions were friendly, and Tojo even shared a moment of levity when he remarked about the temporary nature of his new teeth, stating, “Oh, these will last me six more months, and after that, my teeth I won’t be needing anymore.” This comment elicited laughter from everyone present, including Tojo himself.
The dentures, however, held a secret. Mallory, feeling a mischievous impulse, inscribed the phrase “Remember Pearl Harbor” in Morse code along the edge of the dentures, intending for Tojo to carry a reminder of the events that had led to his downfall. While he refrained from inscribing the phrase outright due to professional ethics, the act of embedding it in Morse code was his compromise.
This prank remained confidential among a select group of military colleagues until a chance encounter in 1995 prompted Mallory to share the story publicly. On the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, he penned “Tojo’s Denture Story,” which was published in the Chico Enterprise-Record. The article gained traction, leading to features in various magazines and even a mention by radio host Paul Harvey.
As the story spread, it drew attention from the media, prompting a wave of interest. Mallory later recounted how an article in the Stars & Stripes newspaper reported the tale of the inscribed dentures, prompting immediate action from military commanders. Major William Hill, concerned about the repercussions, ordered Mallory and his colleague to grind the inscription out of the dentures to avoid any potential fallout.
In a tense operation, Mallory and his colleague drove through a snowstorm to Sugamo Prison. They successfully removed the inscription, but not before the story had already circulated widely, leading to inquiries from various news outlets.
Reflecting on his final interactions with Tojo, Mallory attended the war crimes trials in 1947, where he caught Tojo’s eye from the courtroom. Tojo, recognizing him, smiled and pointed at his dentures, seemingly grateful for the care he received.
The trials concluded with Tojo’s execution on December 22, 1948. Mallory later learned that Tojo’s denture, the very one he had crafted, was among the few personal effects found at his shrine after his death.
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, Mallory’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of human interactions during wartime, blending professionalism with a touch of humor in an extraordinary historical narrative.
