By YAAKOV KATZ
When the nation bows its head on Tuesday evening for Remembrance Day for the Fallen in Israel's Wars, it will mourn the 22,437 servicemen and women who fell defending the land of Israel since 1860 - the year the first Jews left Jerusalem's Old City walls to settle other parts of the country.
In the past year, 132 soldiers were killed in service of the state.
Remembrance Day officially begins at 8 p.m., when a one-minute siren will sound across the country.
President Shimon Peres will open the official state ceremony at the Western Wall, in the presence of Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and bereaved parents.
On Wednesday, the main memorial will take place at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl Military Cemetery. A two-minute siren will sound at 11 a.m. and a ceremony for overseas Mahal volunteers who fought and died during the War of Independence will take place at the Mahal memorial near the Sha'ar Hagai junction.
Ceremonies will be held at an additional 43 cemeteries around the country.
In honor of Remembrance Day, the Defense Ministry has placed a miniature flag and black ribbon on the graves of all the fallen soldiers in military cemeteries.
On Sunday, Ashkenazi laid a flag on the grave of the most recent soldier to have died in the line of duty - St.-Sgt. David Papian, 21, from Tel Aviv, who was killed during an IDF operation in the Gaza Strip on April 16.
"Laying flags on the graves of IDF soldiers - a few days before Remembrance Day and Independence Day - is our way to express our feelings to our comrades who paid with their lives while defending the State of Israel," Ashkenazi said while standing at Papian's grave at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery.
This is the fifth year that the Defense Ministry has provided a service to help people locate graves of the fallen. It not only provides the block and parcel of a fallen soldier's grave, but also gives a map of the best route to take from the gates of the military cemeteries. The service is available at www.izkor.gov.il/izkor80.htm.