West Tennessean recounts close contact with Hamas attack in Israel

JACKSON, Tenn. – A West Tennessean shared his experience of coming in close contact with the Hamas attack when traveling to Israel in the fall.

Doug Duncan, a Rutherford resident, left on October 3 of this year for a trip to Israel with his wife to celebrate their 39th anniversary.

On October 7, their anniversary, they heard the news that Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Duncan says they received a warning that Hamas had attacked when they were in Jerusalem.

He shared what it was like the first time they heard the alarms go off.

“We all found a safe place, and we only had 90 seconds to get to a safe place. So we didn’t know how many alarms there’d be during the night. Luckily, that was the only time. But it was kind of tense, I guess you’d say,” Duncan said.

Duncan shared that he was uncertain when their bus was stopped outside of the first Israeli crossing for three to five hours.

“The time I wondered if we were going to make it home. We were at the first Israeli crossing and our guide on the bus said I can’t tell you for sure if we are going to get across here,” Duncan said.

As tense as the experience was, Duncan never lost faith.

“I’d have to say our faith in God got us through,” Duncan said.

Even though he expresses how wonderful it was to be back home, an adventurous man as he is, he would go again.

“Given the chance I would go back to Israel again, and we just need to continue to pray for Israel and the lives lost there,” Duncan said.

Duncan graduated from UT College of Pharmacy and served as a US Navy lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps.

He semi-retired in 2007 to practice medical missions. His pharmacy work has taken him all around the world.

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