When James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica cranked out "The Star-Spangled Banner" at SAP Center on Monday night, there was no more attentive audience than the men and women in the city's luxury suite. Hands over their hearts, nearly all of them veterans -- some homeless, others recently housed -- who had been invited by Mayor Sam Liccardo to enjoy the Stanley Cup Finals game in style.
"It really is a fantastic opportunity," said Steve Vincent, a wheelchair-bound veteran in the Army 18th Airborne who lives in Veterans Housing in San Jose. "I've only seen the games on TV, and that's what I'd be doing without this.