I'll repeat for the group what I sent privately to Pauline Rosenberg, >from my
own experience with military designations on marriage records in the All
Lithuania Database.

When my great-uncle married in Kovno Gubernia in 1889, the comment in the
record was "husband is a retired squaddy". Squaddy is an old British term
meaning enlisted man, as in a member of a squad. So, at least in the Kovno city
records of the late 1800s, military service was sometimes noted. His future
father-in-law is also designated on his children's records as a "retired
private soldier >from village Aleksotas", which was a suburb of Kovno city.

Sue Seales, North Carolina
researching: FRIDMAN, MAKHT (?), Grinkiskis and Shidlova, Kaunas Gubernia
BOYARSKY, Masty, Grodno, and Massachusetts
ROSENTHAL, Sedlice and Zaremby, Poland, and Odessa, Ukraine
BLUSZTEJN, Zaremby, Poland, Latin America
TARTAK, PERLIS, Odessa and Balta, Ukraine
ZELONY, ZELIONY, Odessa and Illinois

My ggm's brother Meir BEREGOVSKY was one of the founders of the Finnish
Jewish community. His name appears on a list of Jews residing in Viipuri
(Vyborg). All those who were retired soldiers [most, but not all residents]
are ID'd as such, along with wife and children. He was a sergeant.

Military status was important, since an honorable discharge meant many
advantages for the whole family, including the right to retain sidearm and
live outside the Pale.

Jules Levin
Los Angeles