Story highlights Decorated Admiral said Pearl Harbor heroes would have always stood for national anthem

The comments seemed to reference NFL player Colin Kaepernick

(CNN) In a speech commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, U.S. Pacific Command Commander Admiral Harry Harris decided to slip in an apparent jab at noted national anthem protester Colin Kaepernick.

"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," he said.

It wasn't subtle, and the pointed words earned him a robust standing ovation from the crowd.

In a since-deleted tweet and Facebook post, the Department of Defense promoted Adm. Harris' comments, quoting him and attaching a video of the moment.

Reactions to Adm. Harris' remarks have been a mixed bag: A lot of people congratulated the decorated Admiral on his patriotism , while others expressed concern that he chose such a moment to take a knock at Kaepernick's self-described protest for civil rights.

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