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PhilGoetz comments on Human errors, human values - Less Wrong
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There are a number of science fiction stories about uncomfortable utilitarian choices. "The Cold Equations" is the most famous. I think Heinlein wrote a novel that had a character who was in charge of a colony that ran out of power, and so he killed half of them in order for the remaining life support to be enough to let the others live until relief arrived. No one stopped him at the time, but after they were safe, they branded him a war criminal or something like that.
There's also Eliezer's Three Worlds Collide, which has a short aside on ships trying to take on just one more passenger and getting caught in the nova. And I think the movie Titanic had an officer cold-bloodedly executing a man who tried to get onto a full lifeboat, potentially sinking it.
I don't think that's a Heinlein. I don't have a specific memory of that story, and his work didn't tend to be that bleak. I'm willing to be surprised if someone has a specific reference.
It's possible that you are referring to the secondary plot line of Chasm City by Alaistair Reynolds in which gur nagvureb wrggvfbaf unys gur uvoreangvba cbqf va uvf fgnefuvc, nyybjvat vg gb neevir orsber gur bguref va gur syrrg naq fb tnva zvyvgnel nqinagntr.
No, that's different. I was referring to a commander who saved lives, but was condemned for doing that instead of letting everybody die.
Does less-wrong have rot13 functionality built in?
No, I used http://www.rot13.com .