Robert E. Irion, Sandy, Utah: an interview by Benjamin Bahlmann, September 20, 2002: Saving the legacy tape no. 537, 538, and 539

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Robert E. Irion eptember 20'\ 2002 because right away just after I said it, the squadron leader, Archie Tower was leading it that day- our ops officer- and he said, "Upper, red leader to upper green five - you mean bogies! You mean bogies!" And when he said it I thought, "Yeah why did I say bandits?" I almost questioned myself, "Why did I call them 'bandits'?" I couldn't truly identify them as enemy at that time. And boggy is an unidentified aircraft. And I think his conversation stopped my flight leader from doing anything because that caused him to question: Am I really seeing something I know or not? And these guys were coming at 100, 150 mph faster than we are. And common sense tells you that nobody comes barreling up your butt with that much faster speed with friendly intent. And as soon as - while this conversation, while he's saying this back to me about "You mean bogies!" I'm thinking, "Turn, damn you! Turn!" Jackson was leading the flight. "Tum, boy!" And he isn't. He's just going straight ahead. And these guys are not coming in behind me- they're going to right at the number four guy. And just as soon as that transmission ended, I said: "Upper green five, I mean 'bandits!' Break right, green flight!" And we all broke. And I as broke- I mean, I probably should have broken earlier as the conversation was going on so I could have been in a position to shoot at them, but I was trying to stay with the team; but it was dumb! Anyhow, when we all broke, as these two guys passed by me, I could see the smoke coming off the nose of this plane firing it's guns; it was two ME 262's. Now, we 74