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NSF Deveselu Sailors Have “Fangtastic” Time at Dracula’s Castle

ransylvania, made famous for vampires in
TBram Stoker’s novel “Dracula,” was the
real-life storybook setting for sailors from Naval
Support Facility Deveselu on Orthodox Easter
weekend.
The three-day adventure from the Southern
agricultural farmland of Romania bordering
Bulgaria to Transylvania was offered through
the NSF Deveselu Morale, Welfare and Recre-
ation program.
A picturesque backdrop of the central region
was splashed with the cascades of the snow-
capped Carpathian Mountains, decorated with
the last few virgin forests of Europe.
“The trip was amazing, and the view of the
snowy mountains that scattered over the lands
was breathtaking,” said Omar Teran, NSF De-
veselu’s MWR representative. “This trip allowed
the sailors to escape their day-to-day lives on Sailors from Naval Support Facility Deveselu tour Peles Castle, a Romanian castle, during a
base and experience a new environment, one morale, welfare and recreation trip to Transylvania. NSF Deveselu and AAMDS Romania are
with beautiful mountains and forests they haven’t co-located with the Romanian 99th Military Base and play a key role in ballistic missile defense
witnessed before in Romania.” in Eastern Europe. (U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeremy Starr)
Sailors viewed farmlands sprinkled with mon-
asteries and churches, small villages that filled
the crossroads and abandoned power plants that Sailors from Naval Support Facility
Deveselu tour Bran Castle, the
left an eerie feeling of ghost towns among the inspiration for Dracula’s Castle
living towns they cohabitated, gorgeous castles, a in Bram Stoker’s novel, during a
rustic citadel last used by Hungarian revolutionar- morale, welfare and recreation
ies and Imperial Austrian troops in 1849, and a trip to Transylvania.
culture infused with both the East and the West.
Both Master-at-Arms Seaman Apprentice castle, containing 160 rooms
Brantley Gregory and Construction Mechanic filled with beautiful art, is
Constructionman Apprentice Donovan Glenn cel- topped with sharp peaks
ebrated their birthdays on the weekend excursion. and adorned with statues
“This was great. I can’t think of any better throughout the courtyard.
way of spending my birthday than this,” said “The castle was beauti-
Gregory. “I enjoyed walking through the citadel. ful,” said Yeoman 2nd Class
The stones were broken and fallen, and the fort Julian Sanchez. “It was by
was reminiscent of a war-torn area that looked far the best thing we were
like it went through a great battle.” able to see on the trip. It
Gregory said he enjoyed visiting Bran Castle was especially beautiful to
in Sibiu, the castle that inspired Dracula’s castle, look at the castle with the
the most. forests and the mountains
“I loved visiting Bran Castle. The atmosphere background.”
was eerie, as the air was wet and gray from the rain and really Master-at-Arms 1st Class Marshall Knight took time to
portrayed the scene for Dracula,” said Gregory. “I was also celebrate with the people by attending an Eastern Orthodox
able to see the city of Sibiu from the top of the castle, which Easter service.
was neat to see.” “The service was spiritual and uplifting, and the people were
Glenn enjoyed his bird’s-eye view from the top of Brasov, very welcoming,” said Knight. “I had the honor of holding the
the city where he stayed overnight. door for the people as they walked in and out of the church
“We got to take the tram all the way up to the top of the service. One kind lady gave my friend and me lit candles
mountain,” he said. “It was awesome to see the city from that we held throughout the night. It was an overwhelming
that high up. I was able to see the hotel I was at and the main experience.”
square and the places I walked around to. I will never forget Knight was also able to meet a Romanian pastor, Nicu
this experience.” Hagiu from Calvary Chapel Brasov, for dinner during his stay.
Seven sailors were able to visit the grounds of one of the “I enjoyed meeting this man and hearing what great things
most stunning castles in Europe, Peles Castle. This former he is doing with the people of this area,” Knight said. “I was
fairytale home of the Romanian royal family is considered moved by what love he had and what he shared with me. I
a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture. Its plan on coming back to the area to meet up with Nicu and
location is hidden from the city of Sinaia, and has a backdrop see more of Transylvania before I leave Romania. I will never
of two intersecting mountains covered with virgin forests. The —Continued on page 13, Fangtastic

8 MILITARY CLUB & HOSPITALITY | APRIL 2018