I'd like to point out that death does not prevent "winner" status. A soldier's (sailor, airman, etc.) has the duty to kill the enemy, or to take a given bit of territory, or protect his comrades, and so forth. "Winning" does not require survival.

That said, how about Colin Kelly? How about Rodger Young?
A hero who sacrifices his own life to achieve success in his mission is hardly a loser. The popularity of the songs about Kelly and Young demonstrates that the public didn't consider them losers.

Dave Oesterreich