TONY EASTLEY: Yesterday we stopped to reflect on the human cost of war and two more names of young Australians were added to the Roll of Honour at the memorial in Canberra.

The human cost doesn't always stop when the guns fall silent.

In the US there are some frightening official figures which reveal that since 2001 more US soldiers have died from suicide than in combat.

The toll averages out at 22 veterans committing suicide every day.

A new documentary called 'Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1' highlights the attempt to save former soldiers from self-harm, as it follows the calls received by a help line.

With more, here's North America correspondent Michael Vincent.

(Sound of a phone ringing)

ROBIN: Veteran's crisis line, this is Robin.

COUNSELLOR: Can I get you to agree tonight not to use the gun while we're talking.

CALLER: He was planning to bleed out.

MICHAEL VINCENT: This phone service gets between 700 to 1,000 calls a day.

COUNSELLOR: No one can replace you. You need to take care of your kids Kenneth. You're their father.

MICHAEL VINCENT: The documentary 'Crisis Hotline' reveals the importance of this call centre's work and the camaraderie of the people who answer the phone.

Many times the calls they take are very serious.

One of the trained responders who only wants to be known as Sally says they run three shifts operating every day of the year to take calls from veterans or their family members.

SALLY: The caller may have a gun to their head, they may have already taken pills, they may have just, you know, they are just thinking about having, about committing suicide and sometimes they're not having suicidal thoughts at all, they just feel like they really need to talk to someone and we're there for them.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Just how critical a service is this to America's veterans?

SALLY: It's very critical because there's 22 veterans and military people commit suicide a day and if we can save as many as we possibly can, that's what our goal is.

MICHAEL VINCENT: It's that blunt?

SALLY: Yes.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How do you judge the success of your service?

SALLY: We get phone calls when, you know, when you get a phone call and there's a very grateful veteran on the phone and says thank you, you know, I want to thank the hotline because if it wasn't for you, I may not be here right now.

That's a very gratifying feeling and we get a lot of those calls and personally, when you're on the phone with somebody who is sitting there and telling you that they're going to die today, that they're going to kill themselves today and when by the end of that call they agree to stay safe, they agree to accept services through the VA and they're laughing or they're thanking you for being there for them, you know, that, you know that is very gratifying and that, you know, that's a success.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How long do you think your phone service will operate for?

SALLY: Oh, I think our service will be here for a very, very long time - years, years and years.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Sally says it's not just this generation - the phone service gets calls from Vietnam, even Korean war veterans who need help with recurring nightmares or finding services or simply wanting someone to talk to.

This is Michael Vincent in Washington for AM.

TONY EASTLEY: And Australia's Department of Veterans Affairs provides round the clock specialised counselling services itself. The number is 1800 011 046.

Lifeline has a similar service. That number is 13 11 14.