Stephen Correll High was born on July 27, 1959, in Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. He was the son of Horace Eugene "Gene" High and Ora Jean "Jean" Vassy High. He was married to Sandra High. He was a graduate of Spartanburg High School, and he later attended the University of South Carolina, Spartanburg. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Stephen continued his military service with the South Carolina Army National Guard, eventually attaining the rank of sergeant. Assigned to the 228th Signal Brigade in Spartanburg, he returned to active service following the September 11 attacks and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Outside the military, High was employed by The Fresh Market and devoted much of his time to his community, serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America Troop 11 at Morningside Baptist Church.

On April 6, 2005, a U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter #88-00100, flying under the callsign “WINDY-25”, crashed near Khudaidad village, in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province, approximately 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Kabul. The aircraft belonged to Company F ("Big Windy") of the 159th Aviation Regiment, part of the 12th Aviation Brigade, which at the time was assigned to V Corps and based in Germany. WINDY-25 had departed on a routine resupply and passenger transport mission, carrying personnel and supplies between forward operating bases in eastern Afghanistan. The Chinook was transporting a mixed group consisting of Army soldiers, National Guard personnel, a Marine, Army Reserve personnel, and civilian contractors. As the helicopter approached the Ghazni area, it encountered a severe dust storm with winds exceeding 45 knots. These conditions created a "brownout" environment, in which blowing dust completely obscured visual references. During the flight, the pilots lost outside visibility and attempted to transition from visual flying to instrument flight procedures. Investigators later determined that the crew became spatially disoriented, meaning they could no longer accurately perceive the aircraft's attitude and movement. While attempting to regain control, the helicopter was over-controlled and ultimately crashed. All 18 people aboard were killed: five Army crewmembers and thirteen passengers. The aircraft was destroyed. Subsequent investigations found no evidence of enemy fire or hostile action; the accident was attributed entirely to the extreme weather conditions and the resulting loss of situational awareness.

Sgt High was among the passengers aboard the aircraft and was killed in the crash. He is now buried in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.chinook-helicopter.com, www.dvidshub.net, thefallen.militarytimes.com