Navy Seabees build Kamala Harris a Resolute Desk of her own

Navy Seabees built a desk for Vice President Kamala Harris made of timber from a historic warship as part of an effort to craft a desk of comparable historical significance to the president’s Resolute desk.

The U.S. Naval Construction Force built the desk using wood from the USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat. The Constitution was first launched in 1797 in Boston as one of the U.S. Navy’s first six frigates.

An eagle and stars drawn from the Constitution’s stern are carved into the desk, which Harris received in February.

“The desk project was initiated to deliver a desk of comparable … provenance, history, and heritage as the president’s HMS Resolute desk,” according to the U.S. Navy. Crafted from the wood of the British HMS Resolute, that desk was as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880.

The vice president’s version began under former President Donald Trump, with Seabees starting construction in early January.

A second desk, built for the Secretary of the Navy, was made using materials from the frigates USS ConstitutionUSS Chesapeake, sloop of war USS Constellation, and battleships USS TexasUSS New Jersey, and USS Arizona.

Those who worked on the desks pointed to the potential significance for the country, and for the military in particular, of decisions made before them.

“Knowing they’ll sit there every day is huge. The importance of their job can affect everything we do,” said Navy Builder 1st Class Hilary Lemelin, who is assigned to the USS Constitution. “It’s a piece of history now.”

Designerzcentral