Hello everyone, my name is Tommy, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Community Manager for Project ’44. I’ve been following this project for years, and I truly believe it is becoming the leading digital resource for understanding the Second World War through maps, documents, and data. I’m honored to help support that mission.

My interest in the Second World War started when I was nine. My dad and I bonded over Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, and what began as a father-and-son pastime turned into a lifelong fascination with the history behind the stories and battles. I grew up watching Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, and classic films like The Great Escape and Patton, and by high school I was spending more time with documentaries than regular TV.

Over time, that interest led me into historical gaming communities. I helped build and lead a realism-focused community called AEF, which grew to more than 500 active members. I also served as a Project Lead and Lead Developer for the Post Scriptum Realism Mod (PSRM), where I managed an international team, merged multiple volunteer groups into one unified project, and learned to translate community feedback into real product improvements. That work taught me a great deal about project management, user experience, and how to bring people together around a shared mission.

I also work as an operations supervisor at UPS, managing a team of 30 employees. That role strengthened my leadership, communication, and planning abilities — skills I will bring with me here.

I first used Project ’44 while planning a large, historically grounded campaign series that recreated Operation Market Garden from the operational level down to the tactical fights. Each side had to manage its assets, decide where to commit forces, and then resolve those decisions through real-time battles. To build it properly, I relied heavily on Project ’44 to understand which German units were in theatre, where they were positioned, and how the battle evolved day by day. I also bought Project ’44’s Operation Market Garden map from the webstore to help set the tone for the campaign and support the project: Operation Market Garden Map. That experience made something clear to me: Project ’44 is more than a research tool — it’s a bridge between history, technology, and storytelling.

And that’s exactly why I’m here.

While part of my experience comes from gaming communities, my role at Project ’44 is not about gaming. It’s about using those hard-earned skills — community engagement, usability thinking, product feedback, and user support — to make Project ’44 as easy and intuitive as possible for everyone:

• Families searching for a relative’s wartime service
• Students and educators
• Veterans and serving members
• Researchers and military historians
• And yes, the next generation who might first discover this history through interactive media

My job is to help ensure that when someone arrives at Project ’44 — whether they’ve spent decades studying the Second World War or are searching for a grandfather’s regiment for the first time — the experience is welcoming, clear, and helpful.

I will be working closely with the community on Discord, gathering feedback, hosting livestreams, helping grow our Patreon support, and ensuring we continue to build a product that serves the public, honors our veterans, and preserves history responsibly and accessibly.

I’m grateful for the welcome so far, and I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you. This project matters — and I’m proud to help move it forward.

Meet Tommy – Project ’44’s New Community Manager