Los Alamos Book Author Takes Readers On Journey Of Her Life Experiences Through War, Peace And Love

Los Alamos resident Mia McLeod, author of ‘Oma’s Story in Times of Peace and War: A Memoir,’ and her husband, John. Courtesy photo

By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com

At age 90, it’s no surprise that Los Alamos resident Mia McLeod has a lot of stories to tell.

Some of them are packed into her new book, “Oma’s Story in Times of Peace and War: A Memoir.”

“I have a lot more stories,” McLeod said. “I decided 400 pages was long enough, so I had to leave some out!”

This not to mention the stories her husband John has to tell. Maybe he needs to write a book, too.
They shared their story during a recent interview at their home.

Oma is Dutch for grandmother.

McLeod’s story begins in 1930 in the Netherlands. The daughter of the beloved school principle, Mia and her siblings lived a happy life with their parents. Descriptions of village life and the adventures of her family make up the first third of the book.

“The back cover is done in three colors,” McLeod said. “The first is brown, then red, then gold. They stand for the three parts of my life—two periods of happiness divided by a period of suffering during the war. I wanted the book to be about how a family descends into danger and survives it, and a new family is created.”

Each part of the book is an exploration of a life fully lived by an intelligent, creative woman of courage who refused to give in or be held back by anyone or anything.

McLeod has shared some of her story during talks to the Los Alamos Historical Society and the congregation of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos.

“At the church, two teenage boys told me they had to leave part-way through because they couldn’t take the stories of the war,” she said.

McLeod was only 10 when the Nazis invaded The Netherlands. Her village was “next door to Germany”. In fact, one house was split down the middle between the two countries. Used to shopping in Germany and interacting with Germans often, the invasion was a huge shock to everyone, and they soon learned that the German soldiers had no mercy for anyone.

“All their care was for the Reich,” McLeod said. “I would discover that many Germans did not support the Nazis and suffered greatly for it. At the end of the war, the soldiers were as sick of it all as we were. They just wanted to go home.”

It was even more shocking when neighbors became Nazi collaborators, including their next door neighbor and his wife.

“They were vile people,” she said. “They spied on everyone and they turned my father in and he was arrested.”

Typically, McLeod wasn’t so much sad as angry.

“I wanted to get revenge!” she said.
Soon McLeod had many reasons for seeking revenge, including her best friend’s death at the hands of the SS at the age of 12.

“They arrested the entire Jewish population,” she remembered. “Everyone else had to stay inside their houses. The next day on my way to school, I found my friend’s body. It haunted me for years.”

That was the limit for young Mia.
“I went to a person I knew in the Resistance and told him I wanted to join. He said he hated to use me because I was so young, but he needed me. I was asked to carry messages into the city when I went to school. When I was older, the assignments became more difficult. You don’t even think of the danger. You just want to get even.”

McLeod’s life hung by a thread during one scouting mission in a forest.
“There were guns hidden under ground and the Resistance wanted to find out exactly where it was,” she said. “I was asked to investigate and I was captured by two soldiers, an officer and a sergeant. The officer wanted to shoot me, but the sergeant said, ‘the war is almost done, why do you want to keep killing? Let her go, she’s just a young girl.’ And he did! I completed my mission and returned with the information.”

Her father was returned to them in a horrible state, but alive, and at last the war was over.

“I can still see all the people dancing in the street in their slippers,” McLeod said.
There are literally dozens more stories of the war, just as harrowing as these in the book, but the first two parts are only the beginning for the intrepid Mia.

“After the war, I argued with my father over my education. He said he couldn’t pay to educate a girl. I was so angry! I told him I’d work my way through, but I was going to the university prep school. He gave in.”

The head of the school saw that McLeod was a special woman. Upon graduation, he applied on her behalf for a scholarship to study in the United States at North Eastern Missouri State University.

Her father wondered if it was a good idea.

“It’s perfect for her,” the head of the school told him. “Once she’s there, they’ll never get rid of her!”

McLeod would go on to become a physical therapist, but she wanted to be a doctor.

“The women in my class worked twice as hard as the men and were twice as smart,” she said. “They were all frustrated doctors.”

What follows is the story of McLeod’s life in America, which is as fascinating as what came before it. There’s the love story of meeting her future husband.
“My mother knew Mia was the one before I did and she wasn’t going to let her get away!” John remembered.

John’s mom sewed her future daughter-in-law (unbeknownst to John) a huge box of beautiful dresses.

“She was afraid I’d be offended,” Mia said. “My clothes were literally falling apart and I had no money for new ones. I was thrilled!

The stories just keep coming, leading up to a life in Los Alamos with two children, followed by grandchildren and a new career at Los Alamos National Laboratory for Mia. John was hired first as a physicist.

Both of them loved New Mexico and Los Alamos on sight. Avid hikers and campers, the McLeod family took full advantage of their outdoor playground in the West.

The book came about because McLeod wanted to preserve her life story for her children and grandchildren. Readers get to come along on the journey of a remarkable woman. “Oma’s Story” is available online from Barnes & Noble in softcover, hardcover and e-book.

Like McLeod’s book, this story could go on and on. But it doesn’t need to, because readers can learn the rest of the story in her book. If lucky, readers will get to meet Mia and get their book signed. If they’re really lucky, maybe they already know Mia and John.

Mia McLeod with a copy of her book, which is in the library at the Unitarian Church. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

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