Colonel Edna W. Cummings, U.S. Army (Retired)
Six Triple Eight Advocate and Congressional Gold Medal Champion
A Fayetteville, NC, native and Army brat, Col. Cummings received her commission from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Afterwards, she had a distinguished 25-year military career including assignments at Georgetown University, the Pentagon, and NORAD/USNORTHCOM in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After retiring from the Army, she held management positions and led homeland security and information technology initiatives for federal agencies. She is Vice President of Windsor Group, LLC and an Army Reserve Ambassador for Maryland.
Col. Cummings works to bring recognition to the all-Black WWII Women’s Army Corps unit, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (Six Triple Eight). She championed Congressional effort to enact passage of the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Congress also enacted legislation to designate a Buffalo, NY postal facility as the Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office.
She has a master’s degree in the Foundations of Education from Troy State University, Troy AL, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA. Her highest military award is the Defense Superior Service Medal. In 2020, she was inducted into the Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame and currently serves on their Board of Directors. In 2020, Military Officers Association of America recognized her as a national Changemaker and she received the 2022 the NAACP’s Jesse Brown Distinguished Leadership Award. The Center for Women Veterans named her as a 2023 Trailblazer and the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., inducted her as an honorary member. Cummings also served as tour historian for the June 2023 6888th European Legacy tour hosted by Stephen Ambrose Tours. In November 2023, the U.S. Army War College Foundation honored her as an Outstanding Alumnus. She is also on the Winston-Salem State University Board of Visitors and in January 2024, the Afro American Newspaper named her Person of the Year. Col. Cummings is also consultant for the upcoming 6888th Broadway bound musical. Through her advocacy, the 6888th’s history has reached millions of audiences worldwide.