Cross of Military Merit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cross of Military Merit
Template of the Cross Military Merit Decorations
Type	Decoration of merit (formerly order of merit)
Eligibility	Military personnel, Guardia Civil, civilian personnel
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	3 August 1864
Precedence
Next (higher)	Medalla del Ejército
Equivalent	Cross of Naval Merit Cross of Aeronautical Merit
Next (lower)	Distinguished Service Award (Without Insignia) Mention in Dispatches (Without Insignia) Royal and Military Order of St Hermenegild

The Cross of Military Merit (called Cruces del Mérito Militar in Spanish) is a special award from Spain. It is given to people who show great bravery or do something important for their country. This can happen during wartime or even in times of peace.

This award can be given to members of the Spanish Armed Forces, the Guardia Civil (a police force), or even regular civilians. It was first created on August 3, 1864.

What the Award Looks Like

The Cross of Military Merit is shaped like a Greek cross. This means all its arms are the same length. The color of the cross depends on why it was given.

Different Colors of the Cross

• Red Decoration: The arms of the cross are bright red. This is for acts of courage or bravery in battle.
• White Decoration: The arms are white. This is for good service or actions not directly in combat.
• Blue Decoration: This cross has thin blue bars on its lower and side arms. It is given for actions that help keep peace.
• Yellow Decoration: This cross has thin yellow bars. It is for actions where someone was injured or died while serving.

Special Features of the Cross

The top arm of the cross has a Spanish royal crown on it. There is also a small space to engrave the date the award was given.

In the middle of the cross, there is a round shield. This shield shows the old coats of arms of different regions of Spain, like Castile and León. In the very center, there is a blue oval shield from the House of Bourbon-Anjou.

On the back of the cross, you will see the letters "MM" on a red background. "MM" stands for Mérito Militar, which means "Military Merit."

How the Cross is Worn

The cross is worn on a ribbon on the left side of a person's chest. If someone receives the award more than once, a small bar with the date is added to the ribbon for each new award.

The Grand Cross

There is also a higher version of the award called the Grand Cross. It looks similar to the regular cross but is larger. The Grand Cross is worn on a sash that goes over the right shoulder.

People who receive the Grand Cross also get a special star. This star is gold and has eight points. The cross itself is placed on top of this star.

Images for kids

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  Grand Cross – Red Decoration

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  Ribbon for Grand Cross – Red Decoration

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  Grand Cross – Blue Decoration

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  Ribbon for Grand Cross – Blue Decoration

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  Grand Cross – Yellow Decoration

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  Ribbon for Grand Cross – Yellow Decoration

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  Grand Cross – White Decoration

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  Ribbon for Grand Cross – White Decoration

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  Cross – Red Decoration

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  Ribbon for Cross – Red Decoration

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  Cross – Blue Decoration

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  Ribbon for Cross – Blue Decoration

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  Cross – Yellow Decoration

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  Ribbon for Cross – Yellow Decoration

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  Cross – White Decoration

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  Ribbon for Cross – White Decoration

See Also

• Cross of Naval Merit (Spain)
• Cross of Aeronautical Merit (Spain)