John Wayne Airport (SNA) was named to honor the legendary actor and Newport Beach resident following his death in 1979. The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the renaming to honor "The Duke," a local figure symbolizing conservative, rugged individualism and traditional American values. A 9-foot bronze statue of Wayne was installed in1982.
- Airport History: Known as "Orange County Airport" before 1979, the facility had its origins in the 1920s.
- His Connection to Flying: While known for Westerns, Wayne was a passionate aviator who kept his private aircraft at the airport.
- John Wayne's iconic nickname, "The Duke," actually originated from his childhood pet—an Airedale Terrier named Duke.
- John Wayne starred in over 170 films; mostly Westerns such as:
Stagecoach 1939
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The Searchers 1956
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True Grit 1969
The "Pilgrim" Catchphrase: He famously used the word "Pilgrim" for the first time in The Searchers, and it became one of his most imitated lines.
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To claim this Virtual, simply post a picture of yourself or your signature item in front of the John Wayne Statue in your log at the posted coordinates. As a bonus, look for the initials that are in the bottom left corner of the belt buckle on the Statue & try to find out what they mean...
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Have Fun!
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache.
Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
Best Parking is lower level A-2: $4 per hour, Do Not go into the Car Rental Returns...