The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Quartermaster Second Class Thomas Q. Heaps, United States Navy, for heroic conduct when the H.M.S. SPARTAN was struck by a glider bomb during the Anzio-Nettuno landing in January 1944. Quartermaster Second Class Heaps was serving in the LCI(L) 236, which came alongside the British warship to rescue survivors. Manning a rubber boat, he paddled through oily wreckage under the side of the capsizing ship to recover survivors and assisted in the probable saving of many lives.