The only difference is that the categories are different. A merit citation is a merit medal, and a merit citation refers to a person who has won a merit medal. Simply put, it is the difference between one thing and one person.

Meritorious Medal is one of the two kinds of medals of China People's Liberation Army, which is divided into three categories: First, Second and Third Class Meritorious Medal, and the other category is Hero Model Medal, which is divided into two categories: First and Second Class Meritorious Medal.

The first-class hero is a person who has made outstanding contributions to the country, society or collective and won the first-class merit awarded by the state. For example, Liu Defu is a first-class hero in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam. He has successively won the first-class merit and the third-class merit in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam and enjoyed the treatment of provincial model workers.

Extended data

Comment on some conditions of first-class merit (excerpt);

1, study Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, implement the Party's line, principles and policies, and answer and solve major theoretical and practical problems with practice. Have a significant contribution and influence, can be awarded a first class;

2. Those who are brave and tenacious in battle, resolutely carry out orders, abide by battlefield discipline in an exemplary manner, make outstanding achievements in completing combat tasks, or take the initiative to cover and rescue comrades-in-arms, with outstanding deeds and great contributions, can be awarded first-class merit;

3, the courage to overcome difficulties in the battle, actively, quickly and effectively provide logistics, technology or other operational support, outstanding achievements, significant contributions, you can remember the first class;

4, resolutely carry out the orders of superiors, correct command, close cooperation, in the organization and command to complete combat tasks, outstanding achievements, significant contributions, you can remember the first class;

5. Those who have made outstanding achievements in annual military training and have been set up as military training pacesetters by brigades, divisions and group armies (troops of equivalent level), those who have made outstanding achievements in subject competitions specified in the military training syllabus of the China People's Liberation Army or in military training competitions of the whole army can be set up as military training pacesetters of the whole army, and those who have significant influence can be awarded first-class merit.

Baidu encyclopedia-first class merit

Baidu Encyclopedia-Liu Defu (the first-class hero of the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam)