WATERLOO - A former Waterloo resident who had been in Iraq less than a month died Saturday when the Black Hawk helicopter she was riding in crashed.

Sgt. Maj. Marilyn Gabbard, 47, of the Iowa National Guard was among 12 soldiers killed in the incident northeast of Baghdad. She had lived in Waterloo during the early 1990s.

Family members said Gabbard was assigned to Camp Dodge in Johnston. She went to Iraq with another unit that left from Fort Bliss, Texas.

"Her job was to be a liaison between the troops and the Guard, to help fix problems," said stepdaughter Sherri Gabbard of Waterloo, a kindergarten teacher at Longfellow Elementary School. "They were getting on the helicopter to go inspect troops."

Marilyn lived in Polk City with her husband Edward Gabbard, 65. He is a Waterloo native and retired command sergeant major in the Iowa National Guard.

"She called (her husband) before she got on the helicopter," said Sherri. "We know her name was on the manifest and they show that everybody that was on (board) was gone."

"She got to Kuwait Christmas Eve, got to Baghdad the 27th of December," said stepdaughter Kerri Wilson of Waverly, who works for Area Education Agency 267. "We all got letters from her on Saturday. Everyone in the family got letters on Saturday."

Wilson described her as "just an all-around good person who would do anything for anyone who needed help."

The incident was part of the third deadliest day for U.S. troops since their March 2003 invasion of Iraq. A total of 25 service members were killed Saturday.

"I was listening to the news on Saturday when we heard about the crash," said Sherri. "When my dad hadn't heard from her (Sunday) morning, he started making calls. … My dad heard from her every day, so he just knew since he hadn't heard anything since Saturday that it wasn't good."

He soon learned through unofficial channels that Marilyn was one of the victims.

A senior U.S. military official said Monday there was evidence that the Army helicopter may have been shot down. Searchers at the scene found a tube that could be part of a shoulder-fired weapon that may have been used to shoot down the aircraft, said the official, who requested anonymity because the investigation was still continuing.

Col. David Sutherland, commander of U.S. forces in the Iraqi province of Diyala, has said the crash is still under investigation. A Sunni insurgent group, the Islamic State of Iraq, said it shot down the Black Hawk, according to a statement posted on the Internet.

"It's devastating and I just think it's senseless because I don't think there's a reason for us to be there," said Sherri, noting the insurgency has led to civil war. Still, she voiced support for the troops. "I just feel bad for anybody who has lost anybody over there, because this is so terrible."

With 27 years of military service, Marilyn had the option of retiring - as some of her colleagues had done - rather than go to Iraq. She expected to be there for about six months.

"She did what she thought she had to do," said Wilson. "Life will go on, but it won't be the same."

Marilyn, whose maiden name was Van Cannon, was a native of Madrid and graduated from high school there. She has been married to Edward for the last decade. "But they'd been dating forever; they've been together for probably 20 years," said Sherri.

"She's just a couple years older than I am, so she's just become a friend," said Sherri. "She's just a good friend and she's a lovely lady."

"I feel like my heart's broken," added Wilson. "She was our best friend, even though she was married to our dad."

Marilyn is also survived by her daughter, Melissa Danielson of Maxwell; stepson, Terry Gabbard of Waterloo; stepdaughters, Mari Jo Scott of La Porte City, Gerri Gabbard of Des Moines, and Deborah Pommier of Madrid.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.