A Bentonville native is one of several hundred Navy medical personnel serving in Los Angeles to help ease the pressure on local hospitals during the covid-19 pandemic.

"What we're doing will be remembered for the assistance we gave local hospitals," said Kahlil-Alate Gunn, a hospital corpsman caring for patients aboard the USNS Mercy.

Mercy recently arrived on the coast of California with more than 800 medical workers and 70 civil service mariners, according to a news release.

The ship aids patients who do not have the coronavirus, providing surgeries and critical care as nearby hospitals on the California coast use their Intensive Care Units and ventilators to serve those with the virus, according to the release.

"It's exciting and nerve-racking to be a part of something so important to our nation. I feel honored and proud to help my fellow citizens," Gunn said.
