MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania- One weekend in late November 2015, soldiers of 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment got a chance to step away from their tanks to participate in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation sponsored trip to visit Bran and Pelisor castles in Romania.
The trip provided the soldiers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the castles while learning some history and cultural background about Romania.
Asked why it was important for soldiers to attend cultural trips, 1st Sgt. Shawn Eaton, the First Sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt., said, "To learn about the cultures of the areas we're going to, and it's important for the soldiers to know that way they know the history behind what their here for and the things that their doing."
The soldiers stationed out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, are currently deployed at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
One of the first stops on the trip was Bran Castle, or more famously known as Dracula's Castle. Along the way to the castle the soldiers received a brief history from the tour guide.
This background included information about Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler, who is believed to be one the inspirations for Bram Stoker's character Dracula. Soldiers learned some of the gory details on how Tepes earned his nickname, by impaling more than 20,000 prisoners.
The weather was a sunny day, which was in contrast to Bran Castle. The castle sits atop a steep hill. In 1337, the office of the Hungarian King, Louis the Great, issued a document to the people of Brasov the privilege of building a castle. The people in the region near Brasov were encouraged to participate in the building of Bran Castle.
The construction on the castle was completed in 1338.
Once inside the castle the soldiers walked from room to room, receiving detailed information from the tour guide.
In the first room, the soldiers learned that the average height of Romanian's when the castle was built was 164 cm, or 5 feet 4 inches. The soldiers soon saw for their own eyes walking throughout the castle that the doors are very short, and the stairs very narrow.
Many of the soldiers also learned that Dracula did not actually live at Bran Castle. However, Vlad the Impaler, during his second reign passed through Bran with his army to attack Brasov.
"I think Bran Castle was probably the coolest; you don't go to Romania without seeing Dracula's Castle, that is what you always hear about," said Capt. Michael Payne, the Intelligence Officer for 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt. "It would have been a shame to come to Romania and not actually see that."
The next morning the bus set off for Sinaia, Romania for a stop at Peles National Museum where soldiers got the opportunity to see inside Pelisor Castle, one of the summer Romanian Royal Residences.
Pelisor Castle was constructed between 1899 and 1903, when King Carol I had the home built for his nephew, who later became King Ferdinand. King Ferdinand's wife, Queen Maria had a big part on the interior modern décor.
Pelisor Castle is often referred to as Little Peles, as it the smaller of the two castles at Peles National Museum. Peles Castle is the larger castle with 160 rooms, where Pelisor Castle has 99 rooms, and was the summer home for the Romanian Royal Family.
Soldiers walked up to the castle in the afternoon where it was slightly raining with fog, which contrasted with the interior of Pelisor Castle, which overall has a bright open feeling.
"I was quite surprised it [Pelisor Castle] is a lot more modern than I thought; all the architecture inside, the design, all the handcrafted woodwork," said Sgt. 1st Class John Taylor, a team member in the S-3 Operations shop for HHT, 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt.
The soldiers walked from room to room while the tour guide told them information about the castle and its residents, hearing a lot about Queen Maria, whose heart is housed in the castle's Gold Room.
Asked why he came on the trip, Capt. Alayhalam Awaj, the HHT Troop commander for 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt. said, "To enjoy the culture of Romanian and to see the Romanian countryside and all the different things Romania has to offer."
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