Episode 62 • My Ancestor Survived 1776: Peter Kern and the Pennsylvania Flying Camp

In this episode of Patriot Power Podcast, I share the deeply personal story that reshaped how I understand the American Revolution.

Peter Kern, my fifth great-grandfather, served in the Pennsylvania Flying Camp during the most dangerous year of the war, 1776. His service placed him in the chaos of the Battle of Long Island, the retreat north under George Washington, the desperate fighting at White Plains, and the collapse of Fort Washington, moments when the Revolution nearly ended before it truly began.

This is not a story of famous generals or easy victories. It is the story of ordinary men who endured defeat, retreat, hunger, uncertainty, and the constant threat of capture, then returned home to rebuild their communities when the fighting ended.

It is also the story of a family, the Kern brothers, who served in different ways through the Flying Camp and Pennsylvania militia, showing how the Revolution was carried by families and neighbors, not just armies.

Standing at Peter Kern’s grave and walking through the remains of his grist mill changed history from something I studied into something I inherited. This episode explores that transformation, and why remembering these quieter stories matters just as much as remembering the famous ones.

Show Links to Click:

1776 Book

Valley Forge Search By Name

ALL links below are clickable within your podcast platform, so enjoy!

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• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet your Host, Ron Kern⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Please share this podcast with others and we would love for you to leave a review.

Do you have a question, comment or suggestion? Want to suggest a topic for an upcoming show? I'd love to hear from you, so get in touch above.

In Episode 61, the last of 2025, I sit down with Tanner Haas, founder and CEO of FreedomChat, a secure messaging app built around privacy, personal liberty, and the spirit of 1776. We talk about why private communication still matters, how our Founding Fathers would look at the digital world today, and what it means to protect your family, your ideas, and your freedom in an always online world.We cover how FreedomChat works, why big tech and data collection have changed the way we think about speech, and how regular people can take simple steps to regain control of their digital lives. If you care about faith, freedom, and the future your kids will inherit, this conversation is for you.In this 45 minute interview, we discuss:• Why Tanner created FreedomChat• The quote behind the app: "It's not that I have anything to hide, I have something to protect."• Parallels between secure messaging and secret committees and letters in the American Revolution• Modern threats to privacy and free speech• How FreedomChat keeps conversations secure• What digital freedom could look like for the next generationLinks:FreedomChat: www.FreedomChat.comSearch for "PatriotPower" and follow our FreedomChat channel.Podcast:PatriotPowerPodcast.comListen, share, and join the conversation about modern liberty and digital privacy.

America isn’t a democracy — and the Founders never intended it to be. In this video, we break down exactly why the United States was designed as a constitutional republic, what Benjamin Franklin meant when he warned “A republic… if you can keep it,” and how the media, schools, and politicians have blurred this essential distinction.

You’ll learn:

• The real meaning of a republic

• Why the Founding Fathers rejected pure democracy

• The dangers the Founders warned us about

• How we’ve drifted from their original design

• Why this difference matters more today than ever

ALL links below are clickable within your podcast platform, so enjoy!

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• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patriot Power Podcast Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Young Patriots Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Children's Book Series

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok - Patriot Power Freedom Files⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠InstaGram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet your Host, Ron Kern⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Please share this podcast with others and we would love for you to leave a review.

Do you have a question, comment or suggestion? Want to suggest a topic for an upcoming show? I'd love to hear from you, so get in touch above.