. "Joe Brooks"@en . "1944Z"^^ . "1923Z"^^ . "2007Z"^^ . . "John Joseph Brooks, Jr."@en . "2007-12-05Z"^^ . "Brooks, Joe"@en . "1923-12-14Z"^^ . . "Joe Brooks (December 14, 1923 \u2013 December 5, 2007), born John Joseph Brooks, Jr., was an American character actor best known for portraying Trooper Vanderbilt, the near-sighted soldier, in F Troop. He was born and died in Los Angeles, CA and began his acting career after graduating from high school and had his first speaking part in the 1944 John Wayne film, \"The Fighting Seabees.\" During World War II Brooks put his acting career on hold and served his country fighting in the South Pacific."@en . "American actor" . "1986Z"^^ .