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The American Red Cross was enlisted to assist the families as they were slowly evacuated from the island.
Johnston quickly put together a pla
Lieutenant Isaak Faulk
Lieutenant George Boatman
Warden Johnston’s Secretary, Walter Bertrand
With several vessels from the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the San Francisco Police now patrolling the waters, word was spreading that something very bad was unfolding on Alcatraz, so Johnston broke the twelve-year silence and decided to make a formal public a
Serious Trouble... Convict has machine gun in cellhouse... Have issued riot call... Placed armed guards at strategic locations... Many of our officers are imprisoned in the cellhouse... Ca
Formal pla
As the Warden and the other men carefully worked through the formal anti-escape procedure manual, Bergen and Johnson chose their men and started plotting their entry into the West Gun Gallery. The situation quickly grew tense, as the East Gallery officers started firing shots at the silhouette of an inmate who was ru
Officers are seen here peering through the main cellblock portholes, attempting to observe the activities of the rioters.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. the first detachment of marines arrived from Treasure Island. They were equipped with a full arsenal of weaponry and they started ma
Bergen, however, strongly voiced his opposition to this plan. He reasoned that his team could easily enter the main cellhouse using armed force, and quickly bring out the hostages. Bergen was adamant about not wasting time and following Johnston’s orders, he decided to assemble his team and have them briefed on the West Gallery entry plan. Bergen and his men made a quick stopover at the Armory, and then made their way to the catwalk outside of D Block. The men advanced along the catwalk in strict formation, crouching down as they quickly moved into position at the gallery entrance. There were eight officers lined up along the catwalk. Phil Bergen, Harry Cochrane, and Harold P. Stites would be the first to enter the gallery. Stites carried a solid reputation among his peers, and he had bravely put an end to the 1938 escape attempt by inmates Thomas E. Limerick, Rufus “Whitey” Franklin, and James Lucas.
The other men in the assault team were assigned to their stations, and it was pla
While the guards crouched at the entrance, Bergen made a final review of the plan, and then on cue he carefully swung open the door just enough to allow them passage. As they entered the building they remained cautiously silent, while searching for any visible movement on the cellhouse floor. The interior was mysteriously quiet, and masked with an eerie haze of smoke that clouded the air. The acrid smell of teargas slightly irritated their eyes as they tried to adjust to the dim lighting. As they searched the cellhouse for any sign of the hostages and the escapees, they could see little except broken glass littering the floors, and several of the cells standing open with no movement inside. Bergen and Cochrane advanced steadily to the middle of the gallery, stopping at the stairwell that led up to the middle level. Stites covered the entrance area, and sca