Special Consular Services

Finding Missing People in the United States

It is difficult to trace someone in the United States when their whereabouts are completely unknown, as there are no central records of names and addresses available to the public. For those trying to locate former colleagues, friends, or relatives, the following information may be of assistance. It is NOT possible to trace the whereabouts of persons through U.S. immigration channels. Records of the U.S. Government are protected by the Privacy Act and cannot be divulged to third parties.

This list is provided by the U.S. Embassy as a convenience to U.S. citizens. It is not meant to be a complete list of possible resources. The Embassy assumes no responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the persons or facilities listed. Fees and services to be provided are a matter for agreement solely between the individual and the organization.

Tracing U.S. Military Personnel

Active Duty Military Personnel: The Embassy maintains no records on active or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Written requests for assistance in locating information on military personnel currently serving may be sent to the appropriate office listed below:

Air Force Worldwide Locator: HQ AFPC/DPDXIDL, 550 C Street W, Suite 50, Randolph Air Force Base, TX 78150-4752, Tel: (210) 565-2660

Army Worldwide Locator: Commander, U.S. Army Enlisted Records & Evaluation Center, Attn: Locator, Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN 46249-5301

Navy Worldwide Locator: Naval Personnel Command, PERS 312F, 5720 Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055-3120

Marine Corps Worldwide Locator: Commandant of the Marine Corps, HQ, USMC, Code MMSB-10, Quantico, VA 22134-5030

Coast Guard Locator: Coast Guard Personnel Command (CGPC-adm-3), 2100 2nd Street SW, Washington, DC 20593-0001

These offices may be able to provide a current address, and in some instances will attempt to forward correspondence to the individual's military base/unit. Correspondence for the missing service member can be enclosed, together with a brief letter of explanation, to the appropriate service locator. The letter to be forwarded should contain nothing of value and be in a plain, unsealed, unstamped envelope bearing only the individual's grade, full name, and, if possible, military serial number. Please ensure that your name and return address, including country, is clearly indicated on the top left hand corner of the envelope. A nominal fee may be charged for this service.

Former Military Personnel: The Embassy maintains no records on active or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces. All official military personnel files of discharged and deceased veterans are kept in the United States at the National Personnel Records Center (NRPC). Requests for information on former service members must be directed, in writing, to that agency. You should mark your letter for the attention of Mr. Charles Pellegrini and mark it "Do not open in the Mail Room." A form requesting a record search will be mailed to you. When completing the form, provide the full name, including middle initials, details of military service, and the former service member's serial (or Social Security) number, if known. Send your request to: National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100; Tel: 314-801-0800.

A brief notice placed in military and related magazines reaches a wide audience and may well come to the attention of the individual you are looking for, or a former member of the same unit. As well as individual veterans' associations' publications, letters are published in the following large-circulation newspapers and magazines:

Army/Navy/Air Force Times:  Locator Service, 6883 Commercial Drive, Springfield, VA 22159-0500

Air Force Magazine:  Bulletin Board, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198

American Legion Magazine:  700 N Pennsylvania Street, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206

The Retired Officer Magazine:  201 N Washington Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314-2539

Tracing Missing Persons via U.S. Government Agencies

The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will attempt to forward correspondence to missing persons, but only when a considerable monetary or strong humanitarian consideration is involved. You should send a letter intended for the missing person, along with a brief letter of explanation, to the appropriate agency. The letter to be forwarded should contain nothing of value and be in a plain, unsealed, unstamped envelope bearing only the person's name and Social Security/military serial number. If this number is not known, you should include any other identifying information, such as full name, date and place of birth, and parents' names. The addresses are:

SSA charges a $3.00 fee; an International Money Order in dollars should be enclosed and made payable to the Social Security Administration. SSA is unable to report whether or not the letter is actually delivered.

Other Government Resources

If you know the original address of the individual you are seeking, you can pursue local sources of information, such as the state Office of Vital Records; high school reunion organizers and college alumni associations; the Adjutant General's Office in the person's home state for data on state personnel who served in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam; county and state Veteran's Administration Offices; local posts of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Veterans of World War II; the county Probate Office for a will or Letters of Administration for the person if he or she possessed property in the county and is now deceased; local newspapers, for articles, obituaries, death notices, etc; and the state Office of Vital Statistics.

Private Organizations

Private organizations also can provide guidance to assist people in tracing relatives and friends.

TRACE (Transatlantic Children's Enterprise), Norma Jean Clarke-McCloud, Heron's Flight, 1H Bycullah Road, Enfield EN2 8EE (Send SAE), http://www.gitrace.org/

Kith & Kin Tracing, Richard J. Constable, Green Gables, Willow Grove, Fair Oak, Eastleigh, Hants SO5 7BJ, Tel: 023-8069-2421

Ariel Bruce Associates, Independent Social Workers, 24 Stanley Street, Southsea, Hampshire PO5 2DS, Tel: 023-9261-4583

War Babes, Mrs. Shirley McGlade, 15 Plough Avenue, South Woodgate, Birmingham B32 3TQ, Tel: 012-1608-5108 (Send SAE)

Religious Organizations

Some religious organizations can also assist in tracing missing persons, such as:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:  At Family History Centers in both the United Kingdom and the United States, usually located within Latter-Day Saint churches, you can find, or obtain, census returns, wills, church records, etc., from most parts of the world. In addition, you can consult the International Genealogical Index (IGI) and the Ancestral File. The IGI is a worldwide index of approximately 187 million names of deceased persons. This index does not contain records of living persons. The Ancestral File contains genealogical data on millions of individuals from many countries, including information on names, dates and places of birth, marriages, and deaths. For a full list of Family History Centers, contact: The Family History Library, 35 North West Temple St., Salt Lake City, Utah 84150; Tel: 801-240-2584.

Humanitarian Organizations

The following organizations may be able to assist in cases of sufficiently compelling humanitarian need and where the missing person is a close relative:

British Red Cross, Tracing & Messages Section, International Welfare Department, 9 Grosvenor Crescent, London SW1X 7EJ, Tel: 084-4871-1111

Salvation Army HQ, Family Tracing Service, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN, Tel: 020-7367-4500, family.tracing@salvationarmy.org.uk

Adoptees Liberty Movement, P.O. Box 85, Denville, NJ 07834, email: http://www.almasociety.org/

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