Lehi teen honors soldiers' sacrifices through song

LEHI — While visiting Arlington National Cemetery in May, Jaden Bliss placed a simple red, white and blue wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"We will never forget," the wreath read.

For the past four years, Jaden has made it her mission to remind others of soldiers' sacrifices through the power of song.

"I want people to understand what we have," she said. "We need to give back to those who have given us freedom."

At 16, Jaden already has performed across the country and has released two albums of patriotic songs. Of the 19 songs she's recorded, she's written or co-written 17.

"All of these songs are so heavy with a message," said Jeff Bliss, Jaden's father and co-writer. "It's like a letter. You have to listen to the whole song."

And to Jeff Bliss, his daughter's songs fill a void in the industry.

"There's no mention of soldiers and the great things they do," he said.

Jaden already has a busy schedule of school and extracurricular activities, including a lead in Lehi High School's production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

With six children living at home, the Bliss household is anything but calm. Recitals, performances and other activities fill their daily schedules, but Jeff Bliss has helped Jaden from the start.

"This was so innocent from the beginning," he said. "For a kid to be so involved in this kind of thing is amazing."

Jaden's patriotic theme started when she was 5 and wrote her first song for a school contest. After releasing her first album at 12, Jaden was the first child to receive the Freedom Award from America's Freedom Festival at Provo in 2007.

With the help of Bob Lehmiller and Mike's Guardian Eagle Foundation, Bliss' music has reached hundreds of thousands at events ranging from elementary school performances to Rolling Thunder, a POW/MIA organization that rides through Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C., every May to provide awareness for missing and fallen soldiers.

"The greatest thing is the people I've met and the relationships I've formed," Jaden said.