Bad choice for surviving characters (spoilers)

I can't believe which characters they made survive in the end.

I am OK with Lee Marvin and the country hick that flew the plane, but why did these characters survive:

* The Racist: He tried to escape at the begining, often was the first to rebel against the General, and was racist on top of that. He was one of the least likeable characters.

* The tall skinny theif: His crime was stealing from dead American soldiers bodies. He had almost nothing to say throughout the movie and was one of the most forgettable characters. He did not deserve to survive.