Edward Ball Cole (September 23, 1879 - June 18, 1918) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps during World War I.

He was a leading expert on machine guns; he was killed in action during the Battle of Belleau Wood.

On that day, while he was leading an attack on enemy machine guns a German hand grenade wounded him in the foot.

When a second grenade landed in front of him, he grabbed it to throw it back and protect his men — it exploded in his hand.

He died from his wounds on June 18, 1918, in a field hospital near Coulommiers, France, with his brother, U.S. Army Brigadier General Charles H. Cole at his side.