The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Walter R. Heins, United States Navy, for heroism on 4 October 1967, as Pilot of a jet aircraft during a training flight. When his aircraft engine developed a malfunction shortly after takeoff he radioed that he would attempt to return to the field. He skillfully avoided a densely populated area and refrained from dropping his external fuel tanks, remaining with his aircraft until it was directed toward an uninhabited woodland area. Only then did he attempt to save his own life by ejecting from the plane below the altitude required for parachute deployment, thus sacrificing his own life for others.