Stome Gardens: Montgomery County medic rendered aid to Hideki Tojo when he attempted suicide in 1945

Richard Rudell “Dick” Whittington was born on January 16, 1919, in Mount Ida, a small town nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of Montgomery County. The son of William George “Willie” Whittington (1877–1953) and Maudie Hester Ambers Whittington (1894–1986), Dick grew up alongside his younger sister, Mary Virginia Whittington Ray (1921–2016), in a community shaped by its pioneer heritage.

His family’s legacy reached back to the early 1800s, when his great-granduncle, Hiram Abiff Whittington, settled in Arkansas, leaving behind letters from 1827–1834 that chronicled the territory’s frontier days. Discovered in 1913 during the demolition of Granville Whittington’s Mount Ida home, these letters--detailing life from Little Rock to Hot Springs--became a source of pride for Dick, connecting him to the land his ancestors helped build

.Raised in Montgomery County’s rural embrace, Dick learned the value of hard work and neighborly care. The county, known for its quartz mines and timber, was a place where families relied on each other, and Dick’s early years were spent in Mount Ida’s schools and exploring its streams and forests.

Drawn to a career that served others, he trained as a pharmacist, a role that suited the needs of a community where medical care was often a long ride away. His skills would soon find a greater purpose.

When World War II called, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Army as a medic, earning the rank of Technician Fourth Grade (TEC4). He served in the Pacific theater, tending to wounded soldiers amid the war’s harshest battles.

In September 1945, after Japan’s surrender, Dick was part of an occupation detachment sent to arrest Hideki Tojo, the former prime minister whose leadership had driven Japan’s wartime aggression.

When Tojo attempted suicide by shooting himself as troops approached, Dick’s quick actions as a medic saved his life. Applying bandages and administering a transfusion, he stabilized Tojo, ensuring the war criminal could face trial at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

For his courage, Dick received a Purple Heart, a testament to his bravery under pressure.

Returning to Mount Ida after the war, Dick resumed his work as a pharmacist, serving loggers, miners, and farmers with quiet dedication. In 1948, he married Christine Doyel (1922–2004), and together they built a life rooted in family and community.

Dick was a familiar face in Mount Ida, often sharing stories of his wartime service or the Whittington family’s history at local gatherings. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Heritage House Museum of Montgomery County, a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1998 in Mount Ida.

His vision was to create a repository for artifacts, archives, and photographs that would preserve the rich history and heritage of Montgomery County. As a descendant of one of the county’s earliest settler families, the Whittingtons, Dick carried forward a family tradition of documenting local history that stretched back generations. In the early 1970s, he began recording interviews with local residents, capturing details about people, events, customs, and past living conditions.

His connection to the Whittington letters, now studied by historians, kept him engaged in preserving Montgomery County’s past.

Dick lived a full life in Mount Ida, watching the town grow as quartz mining drew tourists to the Ouachitas. He remained active in his pharmacy and family life, a steady presence for his wife, Christine, and their loved ones

On July 14, 2000, at the age of 81, Dick passed away in Mount Ida. . His passing was felt deeply in the close-knit community, where he was remembered as a kind neighbor and a war hero who had served with honor.

Dick was laid to rest in Whittington Cemetery, a small family plot in Mount Ida, alongside his parents, Willie and Maudie. His grave is marked with his TEC4 rank and WWII service,

Christine joined him there four years later in 2004. The cemetery holds generations of Whittingtons, a fitting resting place for a man whose life bridged his family’s pioneer roots and his own wartime sacrifice.