Military records, obtained through the Veteran's Administration, are another source of information, but will more than likely be out of date, and more often than not, you need a social security number, and a real good reason to find the person. The Red Cross is helpful for family members. There are many sites on the Internet that will help you as well, but you will need the SSN or service number. Genealogists can obtain information from their local libraries. This is a huge library, and includes a zillion census reports, passenger lists, family books, a place to list your family name forever, photos of passports from Ellis Island, etc.
Libraries also have access to newspaper reports.
We get many inquiries from folks saying that they have received a card in the mail telling them that someone knows where there is money waiting for them, and for a percentage, will tell them where it is. They will try to find you, and since they have access to your SSN, they can pull your address up instantly using databases that they, as private investigators, have access to. We first suggest contacting the State Treasury Department in any state that you have ever lived in, or have done business in, and ask them if you are listed. Most states will do it over the phone. We have included in our Seeking Beneficiaries section a list of all the State Treasury Departments and how to contact them and what each state requires.