A U.S. Navy Admiral has trolled NFL player Colin Kaepernick as he called for people to stand during the national anthem during a Pearl Harbor memorial speech.

U.S. Pacific Command Commander Adm. Harry Harris said on Wednesday that those who served during the attack on Pearl Harbor never failed to stand for the national anthem.

His remarks at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack generated a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd, with people whistling and hooting.

U.S. Navy Admiral Harry Harris took aim at NFL star Colin Kaepernick when he said that those who served during the attack on Pearl Harbor never failed to stand for the national anthem

Thousands gathered for the event, held on a pier across the harbor from where the USS Arizona sank during the 1941 attack.

'You can bet that the men and women we honor today - and those who died that fateful morning 75 years ago - never took a knee and never failed to stand whenever they heard our national anthem being played,' Harris said to nearly a minute of clapping, whistles and whoops.

'Hearing the words 'the land of the free and the home of the brave' means something special for every American, every day.

'But today - on December 7th - it takes on extraordinary significance, as we're joined here in this hallowed place by World War II veterans and survivors of the attacks on military bases all across Oahu, including right here at Pearl Harbor.'

His remarks come after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling in recent months during the national anthem to protest police brutality and the treatment of minorities.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling in recent months during the national anthem to protest police brutality and the treatment of minorities

Kaepernick, who was born a Lutheran and has Bible verse tattoos, has come under fire since August, when he first refused to stand for the national anthem before a game

Kaepernick's stance has drawn criticism and acclaim alike.

He copped a torrent of abuse and one fan even threw a bottle at him during his first start of the season for the 49ers back in October.

Kaepernick, who was born a Lutheran and has Bible verse tattoos, has come under fire since August, when he first refused to stand for the national anthem before a game.

He has since said that he will refuse to stand for the anthem until '(the American flag) represents what it's supposed to represent' - equality and protection for all, regardless of color.

Athletes from many sports, from youth to professional levels, have started to follow Kaepernick's lead.

Admiral Harris took aim at Kaepernick at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which generated a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd

Pacific Command spokesman Robert Shuford said Harris' comments on Wednesday 'speak for themselves.'

Harris has been the top U.S. military officer in the Asia-Pacific region since he took over the command in May 2015. He had moved over from the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which he led since October 2013.

In February, Harris described China's militarization of the South China Sea as being 'as certain as a traffic jam' in Washington, D.C. U.S. and Chinese diplomats generally cushion their barbs over who is to blame for militarizing the region.