In fact, when all was said and done, the only Rebels who made it out of the Death Star mission alive were Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Wedge Antilles and an unidentified Y-Wing pilot.
In case any casual Star Wars viewers out there need a refresher, Jon Vander led Gold Squadron, the Y-Wing group that was sent in during the Death Star attack on a bombing run.
Despite all his skill, Gold Leader was no match for the Sith Lord and was quickly gunned down, and Gold Two and Gold Five followed soon after.
The losses were great, but it was worth it to take down that battle station.