John Mercer Brooke (1826-1906) was a US Navy officer. He was born at Tampa Bay, Florida, on 18 December 1826. He became a lieutenant in 1855. An an expert in maritime surveys, he participated in exploratory missions in the Pacific. He had a role in the counseling and instruction of officers of the nascent Japanese Navy. In Japan, he was a technical adviser aboard the Japanese steamer "Kanrin Maru", and he helped sail the ship to the United States in February 1860. Wikipedia
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