This is the latest in an occasional series of blogs commenting on impending retirement.

FORT DAVIS, Texas — I think I’ve discovered the ultimate hypothetical question.

Could I do what these guys did?

“These guys” were soldiers stationed at a rugged outpost in the Davis Mountains of far West Texas. They served from 1854 until 1891. They were charged with protecting settlers emigrating westward into New Mexico. They lived in harsh, desperate conditions far from anything resembling “civilization.”

The garrison comprised Buffalo Soldiers of African-American descent. They were rugged and they had to make do with provisions that came mostly from San Antonio, which required several days of travel.

What remains of the post has been turned into a National Historic Place administered by the U.S. National Park Service. Its hospital has been restored and replicated where possible, as have the enlisted men’s barracks. What used to serve as the chapel now consists of just two walls against rock cliffs.

My wife and I spent a day there touring the place and trying to come to grips with how difficult it must be for men called to serve in what had have been considered a God forsaken place far from anything they’d ever know. It was, after all, in the middle of the 19th century.

One of the more interesting exhibits taught us how the men coped with disease. Dysentery was a common affliction. One man died after being kicked in the stomach by a horse. Toothaches could present a serious and potentially deadly problem.

The men were sturdy, stout and tough as nails.

Back to the question: Could I do this?

Well, given the hypothetical nature of the question, I cannot come close to answering it. I came along a century later and grew up enjoying the creature comforts of life. I never knew such hardship.

I’ll just settle, therefore, for saluting the men who served our country under conditions we only can imagine.