The following month, Fletcher became involved in a controversy unrelated to his parliamentary duties. On May 21, 2005, he apologized for saying "The Japs were bastards" at a veterans' convention in Winnipeg the previous week, in reference to Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He defended the general intent of his remarks, noting that his grandfather had witnessed the Japanese army commit atrocities when he was taken as a prisoner of war after that fall of Singapore.Mary Agnes Welch, "Fletcher upsets vets, Japanese-Canadians", Winnipeg Free Press, 21 May 2005, A3. He also acknowledged that he used "language that was inappropriate"."MP apologizes for use of 'inappropriate' language to describe Japanese", Canadian Press, 21 May 2005, 14:50 report.
