Cyrus Vance (1917-2002) served as secretary of state from 1977 to 1980, in the administration of Jimmy Carter.

While visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust center on February 16, 1977, Vance took note of a display that included a letter from Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy rejecting an appeal to bomb Auschwitz. The Jerusalem Post reported: ” ‘Even my country didn’t act,’ Vance said with emotion.”

At the time, Vance was the highest-ranking U.S. government official to have publicly commented on the issue of America’s failure to bomb Auschwitz.

Source: Medoff, FDR and Holocaust, p.187.